News In Focus
11 November 2009
Strathclyde Law Clinic expands its service
Strathclyde University's award-winning law clinic has announced an extended programme of support for local communities in the area it serves.
The student-run clinic, which earlier this year won the prize for Best Contribution by a Law School in the LawWorks & Attorney General Student Awards, offers free advice and representation to members of the public who do not qualify for legal aid but still have difficulty in affording legal fees.
In the coming year, the law clinic will be introducing:
- Initial Advice Centres, a series of monthly evening sessions at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, where qualified and trainee solicitors will be available to offer free, on-the-spot legal advice;
- the Greenock Outreach Project, a pilot programme of monthly sessions, starting in the new year, aimed at extending the clinic's services to the Inverclyde area; and
- a programme for prisoners coming to the end of their sentence, designed to offer them legal advice in areas such as employment and housing, to help them in their return to society.
It is also launching a supporters scheme to help raise funds. The clinic relies on grants and donations to deliver its services.
Unmet need
Since its inception, the clinic has taken on more than 650 cases, the vast majority successfully. It has also given law students invaluable experience and inspiration as a foundation for their careers.
Professor Donald Nicolson, Director of Strathclyde Law Clinic, said: "The service we provide responds to a huge unmet need in Scotland, for people who might otherwise miss out on the representation they need and deserve. It also provides law students with practical experience, a heightened sense of vocation and a commitment to social justice, all of which will prove crucial to them when they enter the legal profession.
"This new programme will enable even more students and members of the public to benefit from the clinic."
A launch event this evening is due to be addressed by the Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, a Strathclyde graduate, and by Lord Phillips of Sudbury, the President of legal charity LawWorks. Around 100 legal professionals are due to attend.