Akasa Pradhan

Akasa joined Young Citizens in 2019, initially coordinating the Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition for young people aged 12 – 14 to develop skills such as critical thinking and public speaking whilst gaining an understanding of the role of law and the justice system. Since 2020, she has been leading the Mock Trial Team to create a new online model of delivery and developing a programme of support for schools to engage young people in public legal education.

Prior to Young Citizens, Akasa taught in a secondary school in Coventry through the Teach First Leadership Development Programme. In her first year as a trainee, she was tasked with taking her Year 8’s to the magistrates’ court for the Mock Trial Competition where she saw first hand how transformational the experience had been. Akasa is currently working towards her Masters in Law and is passionate about empowering young people by demystifying the criminal justice system, breaking down misconceptions and making the law accessible and relevant.