Ellie Fawcett
Associate Solicitor
Ellie is an Associate Solicitor in the human rights department
Ellie is an Associate Solicitor in the Human Rights Department, assisting Tessa Gregory on a range of public law and judicial review matters.
Ellie has a particular interest in migrants' rights and has represented clients in successful judicial review and compensation claims concerning immigration detention, the provision of section 95 asylum support, and support for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery.
Ellie represents several clients in Afghanistan in issues related to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP), including on their applications, appeals and/or associated litigation. Her clients include former interpreters, soldiers and journalists.
She also advises and represents individuals and organisations on issues affecting the LGBTQI+ community and has an interest in discrimination work. Her work includes representing the family of a young trans man in a successful judicial review challenge after his gender was recorded on the Record of Inquest as his birth sex rather than his lived gender. Ellie has also advised a number of organisations seeking to maintain inclusive policies and practices following the Supreme Court's decision in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers [2025] 2 WLR 879.
Ellie acts in a number of judicial review claims with wider public significance, including representing police officers in a challenge to the century-old prohibition on police union membership.
Further experience
Ellie joined Leigh Day as a paralegal in 2021 and specialised in human rights and discrimination claims before commencing her training contract. She qualified as a solicitor in 2024 and remains committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of marginalised communities and holding public bodies to account.
Ellie studied French and Russian at the University of Cambridge and completed the GDL and LPC (LLM) at BPP University.
North London cafe operator given green light for legal challenge
North London cafe operator Hoxton Beach has been given permission to bring a legal claim against the City of London Corporation over its decision to award three cafes to another operator.
Trans-led group granted permission to intervene in Hampstead Heath bathing ponds case
The trans advocacy group TransLucent has been granted permission to intervene in a legal claim being brought against the City of London Corporation (CLC) over its decision to keep bathing ponds in Hampstead Heath trans-inclusive.
Reform announces intentions to scrap equality, diversity and inclusivity policies at Staffordshire County Council following the removal of Pride displays at libraries
Leigh Day human rights lawyers Jessica Harrison and Ellie Fawcett look at the impacts of Reform’s intentions to scrap diversity and inclusion policies in Staffordshire.