Legal Clinics in Poland Summary of the academic year 2006/2007 activity

Legal clinics in Poland Białystok – University of Białystok Białystok – Białystok School of Public Administration Gdańsk – Gdańsk University Katowice – Silesian University Kraków – Jagiellonian University Kraków - Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University Lublin – Catholic University of Lublin Lublin – Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Łódź – University of Łodź Olsztyn – Academic Association of the Law and European Education Propagators Wspólna Europa Olsztyn - The University of Warmia and Mazury Opole – Opole University Poznań - Adam Mickiewicz University Rzeszów – Rzeszów University Słubice - Collegium Polonicum Szczecin – University of Szczecin Toruń – Nicolaus Copernicus University Warszawa - Academia Iuris Foundation Warszawa - Warsaw University Warszawa - Lazarski School of Commerce and Law Warszawa - Leon Koźmiński Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management Warszawa - Management and Law Academy (WSZiP) Warszawa - Stefan Kardinal Wyszyński in Warsaw * Wrocław - Wrocław University * Legal clinic opened in 2006 Białystok Warszawa Lublin RzeszówKraków Katowice Opole Wrocław Łódź Poznań Toruń Gdańsk Szczecin Słubice Olsztyn Białystok Warszawa Lublin RzeszówKraków Katowice Opole Wrocław Łódź Poznań Toruń Gdańsk Szczecin Słubice Olsztyn

Clinics accredited by the Legal Clinics Foundation 1. Student Legal Clinic in Białystok (University of Białystok) 2. Student University Legal Clinic in Gdańsk 3. Student Legal Clinic in Katowice 4. University Legal Clinic in Kraków 5. University Legal Clinic in Lublin (Catholic University) 6. University Student Legal Clinic in Lublin (Curie-Skłodowska University) 7. Student Legal Information Point Klinika Prawa in Łódź 8. Student Social – Legal Advice Office Bona Fides in Opole 9. Student University Legal Clinic in Poznań 10. University Legal Clinic in Rzeszowie 11. Scientific Group Student Legal Clinic in Słubice 12. Legal Education Center – Student Legal Clinic in Szczecin 13. University Legal Clinic in Toruń 14. Academia Iuris Foundation in Warsaw 15. Legal Clinic, Student Center of Legal Aid in Warsaw (Warsaw University) 16. Student Legal Clinic in Warsaw (L. Koźmiński Academy) 17. Student Legal Clinic in Warsaw (Lazarski School of Commerce and Law) 18. Student Legal Advice Office in Warsaw (Management and Law Academy-WSZiP) 19. University Legal Clinic in Wrocław

Academic year in numbers 9399 cases were submitted to legal clinics between October 2006 and June 2007; 2327 (25%) were civil law cases; 1302 students and 197 teachers worked in the clinics; 1 teacher supervised the work of 6 students; 7 cases were solved by one student.

Comparing to the previous years … Number of cases in years Number of students and i teachers in years students teachers

Number of cases accepted by the clinics Total: 9399 (9833 in academic year 2005/2006) * Clinic opened in 2006

Number of students in the clinics Total: 1302 (1279 in academic year 2005/2006) * Clinic opened in 2006

Number of clinical teachers Total: 197 (179 in academic year 2005/2006) * Clinic opened in 2006

Types of cases Total: 9399

Time of handling the case

Sources of information about legal clinic

Have the clients used professional legal advice before?

Present status of the legal clinics in Poland There are very few NGO based legal clinics in Poland. Almost all of the legal clinics in Poland are recognized by the Universities as a part of the legal curriculum at our law schools (as one of the mandatory classes that are offered to the students). Legal Clinics are present at every state law school and at almost all private law schools. Some of the legal clinics gained a status of a chair or laboratory (in cities like: Krakow, Warsaw, Bialystok, Lodz) All of the legal clinics that are based at the Universities get all the office costs covered as well as the professors salaries paid by the Universities. Legal Clinics Foundation and a group of legal aid NGOs with a support of the Ombudsman drafted a new law on access to legal aid. The Ministry of Justice included legal clinics activity as a part of the national network of institutions that will provide so called pre-trial legal advice and basic legal information to poor people.

Cooperation of the Polish Ombudsman with the Legal Clinics network 1. The Ombudsman cooperates with the legal clinics since the very first legal clinics have been established in 1997 and The cooperation is based on a general agreement signed by the Ombudsman and the Legal Clinics Foundation as well as bilateral agreements signed by 14 different law schools and their legal clinics. 3. The cooperation with the Ombudsman is based on the following activities: the Ombudsman agreed to take the most difficult cases from legal clinics in order to help the citizens and protect their rights when only it is out of the legal clinics competences, the Ombudsman agreed to admit for traineeship in his office only students from the legal clinics, the Ombudsman agreed to issue and sponsor brochures on legal matters that are prepared by the legal clinics (till now over 50 brochures have been published), the legal clinics submit reports on their activity and describe cases they deal with and based on those the Ombudsman prepares his yearly reports to the Parliament on human rights protection in Poland.

Legal Clinics Foundation activity The Foundation has the status of the public benefit organization; Won a distinctive prize in the Best Pro Publico Bono Civil Initiative contest; Organizes annual Pro Bono Lawyer Contest; Helps to build similar organizations in Ukraine, Russia, China and provides trainings to other legal clinics in Central and Eastern Europe; Published first in Poland and in region textbook The Legal Clinics. The Idea, Organization, Methodology, available also in English; next textbooks are under preparation; Each year organizes two National Legal Clinics Conferences as well as workshops, train the trainers courses on psychological skills and clinical teaching methodology; Represents legal clinics toward state institutions and takes part in drafting legislation on access to justice; Granted legal clinics with material and financial means of the total value of appr USD.

Thank you for your attention! Polish Legal Clinics Foundation Address: Szpitalna 5 app. 5, Warsaw, Poland ph.: (+48 22) ext.143, fax: (+48 22) Banc account: Bank PEKAO S.A. II o/Warszawa no.: