Wolverhampton University has launched a Law Clinic to provide free legal advice for people in the local community and surrounding area who are in need of legal help but unable to obtain legal assistance through other means. The new Law Centre is intended to be complementary to existing legal services provided by lawyers and other advice agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Mumtaz Hussain Director of Postgraduate and Part-time education at the School of Law takes up the story:-
“The Law Centre builds upon a long tradition of student law clinics, where it is recognised that both the community and students would benefit from experiential legal education. The clinic work prioritises the community’s needs for legal services and clients’ interest, which complements legal education in developing students’ legal skills, experiencing law in operation and reflecting on ethics and conduct of legal practice.”
The service provided will include
· preliminary legal advice on whether the client has any legal rights or claim,
· consideration of the law that would be applicable,
· the recourse or remedy that may be available
· the next steps or action that need to be taken
Mumtaz continues:-
“The Law Centre is run by law students and they will also be providing the free legal advice service under the supervision of academic staff, some of whom are qualified solicitors or barristers. Additional supervision of students’ advice work will be provided by practicing lawyers from local law firms who have kindly agreed to provide support to this initiative on a ‘pro-bono’ basis.”
Additional support is sought from local practitioners through the Wolverhampton Law Society. Any members who would like to discuss how they can contribute to this worthwhile cause are invited to contact Mumtaz on 321559 or e-mail M.J.Hussain@wlv.ac.uk
