THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN THE LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE SALLY GILL SCHOOL OF LAW

OVERVIEW Legal Advice Centre has now been open a year (since March 2014) We have recently been shortlisted for best new Student Pro Bono in the LawWorks and Attorney Generals’ Awards 2015! Based in Stockwell Street – drop – in sessions 3 days a week Areas of practice – employment – family- welfare benefits – copyright/ patent issues – small business clinic coming soon Streetlaw Programme – public legal education Student volunteer in level 4,5 and 6 – ladder of experience Level 6 – Pro Bono Option – 26 days required in the Centre plus a reflective journal and essay on access to justice Planned – embed into the Legal Skills Course at level 4 & 5 Other students – extra curricular Partnership between UoG; local firms; students; RBG welfare rights service The Centre is a member of local networks Free training is available with LawWorks

ROLE OF THE STUDENT ADVISER Students take a variety of roles in the Advice Centre: – Triage Workers – Student Adviser – Streetlaw Volunteer – Support in the Family Court – External placements - HERR Centre – Lewisham Legal Services – local solicitors firms – Internal placements – Innocence Project – Vulnerable Witness Project Legal research – interviewing – drafting – insight into practice – develop networking skills – client care – team work – feedback – evaluation – all this makes them more employable!

RECENT SUCCESSES A 3rd year student (Preeti Phagura) from last year recently sent some feedback on her experience of the work: "I spoke about the legal advice centre in my interview and the managing director was so impressed! It really helped and I gained a lot of knowledge and experience. I wanted to personally thank you for the opportunity as I am so grateful for it. I put down my success in getting paralegal work to as mostly down to my work in the legal advice centre. You were absolutely right about doing it and I hope this year you have got what you wanted which as expand it to family law! It will honestly give students like me that never really thought they had a chance the real opportunity in such a competitive industry. Thank you so much and I really do wish you the best! Your students really do not know how lucky they are!!” Interns Natalie Buraimoh and Halima Begum have both been successful in obtaining work following a 3 month internship with the Legal Advice Centre Natalie is going to be a caseworker with the Legal Ombudsman and Halima is joining the Probation Service as a trainee Probation Officer