Student solicitors step into the breach

result of drastic cuts in legal aid, colleges see increased demand for our free legal clinics

Smitham

When Luke helped write letters to the U.S. Supreme Court, of course, the law of love suddenly sprang to life. Thank you to a special teacher with their connections, Smitham and some of his classmates at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London have had the opportunity to do pro bono work with a team from Harvard Law School in For businesses on important human rights.

Now, he and a friend, Jessica Whelligan created Banyan, an organization that seeks similar legal experience real life SOAS students. "I was really lucky," said Smitham. "We wanted to eliminate the element of chance for other students. The school does not teach everything and in the field of human rights can not go anywhere without experience. "

as free in universities across the country legal clinics, Banyan prepared for a new wave of applications for assistance after severe cuts with the legal government, which came into effect this week last. "We had contacts with firms saying they need more aid cuts, probably in immigration and refugee matters," says Smitham.

On April 1st, access to legal aid has been greatly reduced. If before, people who earn less than ? 31,884 could get free legal advice in private family law, immigration cases, employment, education and housing, with the change in the areas covered thousands must now cover the costs of lawyers themselves. For those who can not afford university law clinics can be a lifesaver.

SOAS

While specializing in human rights, pro bono work, usually law faculties of universities offer general advisory services covering the main areas of civil law.

Some universities such as the University of Birmingham and right now escalating their efforts to meet the demand because of cuts to legal aid. However, this is controversial, some experts in legal centers react angrily to suggestions that students could help fill the gap in free legal services. "I think this is a fundamental mistake to see student legal clinics as a response to cuts in legal aid," says Elaine Sherratt-based full-time at the University of Kent School of Law lawyer. "Student participation in the case is a very laborious process. As the law school of the University, the first priority should be to provide the best possible education for students. "

Although it is not a mandatory part of the course of law, institutions say that the demand for students to do pro bono work is high. Hannah Bosworth, a law student of second year at Queen Mary University of London, says that the customer experience, which ranged from a case of discrimination based on disability in any kind of a wedding dress Chanel has transformed his vision of law.

"Law can be very annoying in the first year and was disappointed by how difficult it is," he says. "Putting things in practice is so exciting. Lawyers thought were used only colorful, but now I know I was wrong, and I want to be a lawyer. "

"It is very difficult for people to legal aid now, and the people we help are very grateful. Believe that in law school, it is important to learn to give something back. Should not be only for the most well-paying jobs. "

• Although each university can perform their clinical contrary, all agree that students work with clients must have adequate supervision. Clinics with good resources, such as Kent and Northumbria universities have a small team of legal professionals who are available to monitor students, echoing the traditional model of medical education. Others rely on mounting teachers time voluntary monitoring. Universities will also seek to hire local experts firms of lawyers who take cases for free with a team of student assistants.
But the legal work done by students will inevitably be slower than the legal help of a qualified lawyer. "There is a limit to what we can call the help of law firms, of course, because it's time," says Professor Andrew Sanders, director of the School of Law at the University of Birmingham and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs University Law School. "It's a learning process, so that each case is much longer than it would if you simply done by a lawyer or a lawyer. This means that there is a limit on the number of cases that can change. "

Although Birmingham plans to extend free legal services and Sanders is ready to become an optional part of the career of the evaluation, it is worried that the support of outside counsel to reduce the risk countries. "I fear that in the future, law firms or lawyers may be able to help unless they are pressed financially. Lawyers expect a very large drawing office in their activities and pro bono work may suffer from it. "

However, the group of pro bono lawyers, LawWorks hope that cuts to legal aid are actually more lawyers to volunteer their time for clinical supervision. They are also studying ways to involve students in client work unattended. The CEO, Rebecca Hilsenrath, said: "There is an almost unlimited capacity, but it is a matter of finding ways to tap into it"

charity is training law students at Queen Mary University to sit with clients and help clarify the issues they would like a lawyer to respond and put their papers in order. Similarly, the University of Chester law established Contact4Kids, telephone and online counseling service for parents and grandparents looking to solve the problems of contact with the child. Heather Eadsforth, who heads the pro bono work in Chester, said: "The interviews with students on their own client on the phone, talking through, and they do their research and write a letter of advice on the steps of the before. "
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