Alan Russell Dr John Russell LSBU Legal Advice Clinic Directors Clinical Legal Education – Running drop-in advice services in an university setting Alan Russell Dr John Russell LSBU Legal Advice Clinic Directors

BACKGROUND Broad acknowledgement that clinical legal education enhances: Practical legal knowledge Understanding of client care and legal ethics Transferable skills Employability

THE LETTER OF ADVICE MODEL No public drop in service Clinic administrator fields telephone enquiries Supervising solicitor decides if case suitable and has educational benefit Students tasked with researching enquiry and producing letter of advice Advice letter reviewed several times by supervising solicitor before being sent out to the client. 3 weeks from initial contact to advice letter

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2004 Southwark ranked 17th most deprived area of 354 local authorities and districts Based on an overall measure of deprivation (aggregating income, employment, heath and disability, education skills and training, barriers to housing and services, living environment and crime).

LSBU LEGAL ADVICE CLINIC A free face-to-face drop-in community legal advice centre staffed by students working under supervision of practising solicitors Opened to the public September 2011 195 enquiries dealt with in first 9 months of operation

THE CLINIC SERVICE Drop in Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons Extending drop in to Tuesday afternoons next academic year

THE CLINIC SERVICE Working in pairs, trained students interview drop-in clients and, under supervision: Provide information on any topic Give generalist advice on social welfare law Signpost and refer to appropriate local advice agencies and legal services Or refer to the Clinic’s own evening sessions

THE CLINIC SERVICE At the Clinic’s evening sessions, Student Volunteers shadow pro bono solicitors & barristers giving specialist legal advice in housing, family, employment, personal injury and long leasehold matters

Students taking control PROGRESSION Modelling Collaborating Students taking control

BENEFIT TO STUDENTS In at the deep end – first point of contact Translating client concerns into legally recognisable categories Developing interview skills Developing practical legal knowledge Developing understanding of client care Developing writing skills – the advice record

BENEFIT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY Helping to meet unmet legal advice need Free high quality legal advice and appropriate signposting and referral

PROBLEMS FACED Staffing resources Expanding the cohort from 20 to 35 students Equal opps merit-based appointment Risk assessment and security

HEA GRANT & CONFERENCE Teaching and learning resources – developing operational manual for dissemination nationwide by LawWorks Clinical Legal Education conference on ‘Form and Funding’ at LSBU in Feb 2013