Pro Bono Teaching Clinics: Collaborative Models for Promoting Law Graduate Employability Skills and Community Service Dr Francina Cantatore, Centre for Professional Legal Education, Faculty of Law, Bond University Australia

Clinical experience at Bond – 2 Options Elective clinical subjects: Clinical Legal Placement Family Law Legal Practice Clinic Litigation Clinic AND/OR Volunteering: Bond Law Clinic - 6 Clinics https://bond.edu.au/intl/current-students/opportunities/bond-law-clinic-program

The Bond Law Clinic Program Pro Bono volunteer opportunities for Law students in 6 Clinics: Commercial Law Clinic Community Law Clinic Criminal Law Clinic Human Rights Clinic Immigration Law Clinic Start-up Law Clinic

How the Program works Bond Faculty of Law - staff and students Collaborations with local law firms & community organisations Students deal with real clients & cases Different clinic models – usually fortnightly

The Commercial Law Clinic Held at Bond Faculty of Law Free legal advice to small businesses and not-for-profits Commercial and business law areas Students interview clients, research, draft advice, network with lawyers

The Community Law Clinic Held at the Gold Coast Community Legal Centre Students: deal with consumer issues, family law, employment law, general disputes interview clients, research, draft advice

The Criminal Law Clinic Held at the local Magistrates Court Students: gain practical work experience working alongside Police Prosecutors obtain drafting experience on real briefs and submissions provide volunteer service by assisting the local Police Services

The Immigration Law Clinic Held at the Faculty of Law – students assisting lawyers and migration agents The Clinic provides Pro bono assistance to: persons with refugee status seeking to apply to sponsor their family members to Australia persons seeking asylum in Australia marginalised and disadvantaged persons holding a student visa other vulnerable and financially disadvantaged persons seeking immigration advice

The Start-up Law Clinic Collaboration between the Faculty of Law & the Bond Business entrepreneur Transformer Program Students: interview Transformer Entrepreneurs to understand their needs and issues research and present lunch time sessions on start-up legal issues gain practical work experience dealing with entrepreneurs and start-up founders build connections with the Transformer Entrepreneurs

Case study: The Bond Commercial Law Clinic

Main objectives Promote community service/volunteering opportunities Provide practice-based learning opportunities for students to increase employability skills Provide a free public legal service to small businesses and not-for-profits Encourage lawyers to engage in pro bono activities and mentoring program

Structure 4 Integral components:

Operation of clinic Clinic administrator books appointments Operates fortnightly on Wednesday evenings Academics supervise running of clinic Lawyers supervise students in interviews Clients – appointments with lawyers & students Students: Network with local law firms Interview real clients under supervision of volunteer lawyers Do legal research Draft client advice & receive feedback from lawyers

The student learning experience Induction training – volunteer handbook Interviews & administration Legal research Drafting Feedback Personalised feedback & model answers Discussion in clinic Surveys – reflection & review Fact sheets

Community engagement and employability Positive benefits for students experiential learning > real clients and cases promoting employability > communication skills, practical research skills, ethics & professionalism promoting social responsibility > community service & pro bono experience networking and mentoring opportunities

University run clinics - Australia There are many successful university run law clinics in Australia, eg: The Kingsford Legal Centre at the University of New South Wales - incorporates a number of different clinical subjects and is run by a staff solicitor Flinders University, University of South Australia and University of Adelaide also adopt a similar model -involving legal academics with legal practice experience and current practising certificates University of Queensland - Pro Bono Centre incorporates a number of different clinics in which students can enrol for academic credit

CLE v Pro Bono Clinical Legal Education Pro Bono Programs Academic credit Purely voluntary, non-reward Primary motivation - securing gain Social justice/professional responsibility Teaching focus Community service focus Course fees No cost to students Formal assessment procedures Informal or no assessment Specific learning and teaching outcomes Informal feedback and reflective practices Targeted pedagogical objectives Limited pedagogical objectives

Bond Law Clinics - utilizing a hybrid model Overlap between CLE & Pro Bono Community service setting Creating a pro bono ethos in students Partnerships with law firms/ community organisations Pro bono work + learning and teaching outcomes = an optimum practice-based learning experience Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebroid

Challenges for pro bono teaching clinics Funding Adequate staffing, supervision and space Location and structure of projects Should student participation be required or voluntary? Relationship between clinical courses and pro bono projects Enthusiasm of law deans and faculties is vital

A work in progress Bond Law Clinic Program – 4.5 years Evidence of success – students, university, lawyers, community Community and profession support Growth in number of clinics Perceived 13%increase in graduate capabilities in students over 1 semester

University run pro bono clinics - an untapped resource? National Pro Bono Centre Australia advocates pro bono in law schools Lack of pro bono clinics Lack of access to justice A need for more targeted qualitative research and a structured approach in universities The pay-off Developing altruism & pro bono ethos in students Increasing practice –based learning & employability skills Community benefits Teaching and learning outcomes

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