Clinical Legal Education and the work of the LAC

Clinical Legal Education and the work of the LAC Presented by: Frances Ridout (Director of the Legal Advice Centre, Senior Lecturer and Barrister) Date: July 2, 2022 What is Pro Bono? - In 2020 the Thomson Reuter's Foundation undertook a global survey of pro bono activities undertaken by law firms. - They defined pro bono as "Legal advice, assistance, representation and research as well as - drafting agreements, policy documents or legislatives instruments" and "supervising pro - bono matters, attending legal clinics, representing pro bono clients or conducting legal - research." - They considered that "preparing and running training sessions, seminars or webinars etc. specifically to or for pro bono clients on legal topics" counted, as did "providing legal education lessons to students in under resourced schools". - Put simply pro bono work needed to be for public interest reasons and pro bono clients were considered to be: "people of limited means or organizations that have a social, environmental, cultural or community focus" What is Clinical Legal Education? The European Network for Clinical Legal Education has defined clinical legal education as: 1. "... a legal teaching method based on experiential learning, which fosters the growth of knowledge, personal skills and values as well as promoting social justice at the same time... 2. formal, non-formal and informal educational 3. programs and projects, which use practical-oriented, student-centered, problem-based, interactive learning methods Advisory Work and Public Legal Education Advice Work 1. 1-2-1 to a client 2. 1-2-1 to a company 3. Advice Vs representation Public Legal Education 1. Making the public more aware of their rights and responsibilities. 2. Increasing legal literacy 3. Spotting legal issues in everyday life. 4. The Solicitor General's Committee on Public Legal Education defined PLE in 2018; "PLE covers a wide range of activities aimed at empowering participants and increasing their confidence and capability to deal with law- related issues." 5. People don't have legal issues they have life events." 6. Within PLE we have Street Law 7. https://www.lawworks.org.uk/sites/default/file s/files/10YearVisionForPLE-web.pdf A Ten Year Vision for PLE. Legal Advice - 1-2-1 client appointments led by students. - Members of the public (income threshold) - 4000+ clients since we opened in 2006 (approx. 400 per academic year). - Clients receive written legal advice 14 days after their appointment. - Volunteer barristers and solicitors supervise students Clinics: 1. General Clinic (consumer, contract, employment, LL and T) 2. Frances 3. Criminal Justice Project 4. Family Law 5. Immigration Law 6. Pink Law 7. Company Law 8. Law for the Arts 9. The Black Justice Project 10. SPITE 11. CHOICE 12. Wills and Probate 13. Special Educational Needs 14. Fitness to Practice Support Services (nurses and midwives) 15. Domestic abuse form filling clinics 16. Social Welfare Benefits Clinic (form filling and tribunal representation) Community Projects 1. SPITE For Schools Design and deliver bespoke workshops on image based sexual abuse in secondary schools 2. I Am You Working with 9- and 10-year-old school students on the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 3. The Prisoner Property Project Running workshops in prisons on lost property from the prison system and from the police station. Students also write letters of advice for specific client issues Policy Clinics - Written submissions to the Public Bill Committee on the Online Safety Bill. - Fed into the Law Commission Consultation for Intimate Image Abuse. - Previously fed into Reports in collaboration with the Freedom Law clinic on civil liberties in lockdown. A Few Statistics  Over 4000 clients have received 1-2-1 legal advice since 2006.  Over 6500 school students have participated in a workshop.  We engage approx. 400 students per year in clinical legal education.  Approximately 200 volunteer lawyers work with the Centre each year.  8 members of staff.  Mix of extra-curricular and for credit (e.g. two optional modules)  £250,000+ disability benefits (and a blue badge) won for clients at the Social Security Tribunal by QMLAC students this year. Value  Support our local community - an incredible opportunity to give back / place-based education (proudly working with our east London community).  Skills - all the obvious ones plus emotional intelligence development / professional legal ethics introduction / impact on academic achievement.  Employability - applications and job prospects / contact with the profession.  Support pro bono we want to develop ethical graduates more likely to do pro bono later in their careers, more likely to engage in ESG / CSR. Develop a sense of social justice in our students.  Co-ownership of education - between student, university and society (legal society and more broadly).  Diversity - all students get 'work experience' / diversity of thought / public engage with the university.