Information for clients

Our Pro Bono Advice Unit offers a wide range of services to a variety of clients.

The Advice Clinic

This is a free legal advice service run by student advisors under the supervision of qualified and experienced lawyers. Client enquiries vary from housing problems to matrimonial and employment rights. The students hold a fact-finding interview with the client, identify legal issues, carry out legal research and provide detailed written legal advice.

Our dedicated Advice Clinic is closely supported by Travers Smith Solicitors and is in the process of expanding the service it offers still further in conjunction with The Mary Ward Legal Centre. The Advice Clinic offers day and evening appointments throughout the academic year.

Advice Clinic Leaflet

The Partnership Programme

Under the Partnership Programme, over 20 organisations have agreed to provide opportunities for students to work with them on a voluntary basis while enrolled on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or Legal Practice Course (LPC) at The City Law School. We have agreements with a number of Law Centres and Legal Advice Centres at which the work will involve interviewing clients, case work and legal research. Other organisations, e.g. the RCJ Advice Bureau provide advice on a variety of legal problems.

A number of the organisations are charities providing advice and assistance to specific groups of people, e.g. the Disability Law Service, the Terence Higgins Trust, Westminster Race Equality Council, Inquest and Shelter. Students who volunteer to work with one of these organisations will be expected to have an interest in the relevant area or areas of law.

For many years we have also worked in partnership with FRU (the Free Representation Unit).

Placement Clinics

Students work with a variety of host organisations helping them to provide legal services to the community. The work is predominantly within the not-for-profit sector.

Blackfriars Settlement's Clinic

Blackfriars Settlement is a local inclusive organisation that works individually, and with partners, to help local people - especially those who are disadvantaged - achieve their economic, educational and social potential. It also seeks to encourage local community activity and involvement. The summer of 2005 saw the launch of its Advice Clinic in conjunction with City Law School students and Taylor Wessing, a city firm of solicitors. Students telephone clients who have made an appointment with the Clinic and take full details of their problem. This information is then passed to one of the solicitors who will then advise the client at a face-to-face appointment during a weekly evening clinic. If you would like an appointment with the clinic call the Settlement direct on 020 7928 9521.

Liberty - Letters Clinic

Liberty is one of the UK's leading civil liberties and human rights organisations. Through a combination of test case litigation, campaigning and research, Liberty has been working to protect civil liberties and promote human rights for over sixty years. Students contribute to Liberty's goals by providing a source of test case litigation and discovering public policies. Their commitment is for one year and in that time they are free to work on as many cases as they wish. There is no face-to-face contact with clients; all the casework is dealt with via letter and email.

Streetlaw

This programme provides rights and responsibilities awareness training for community groups through legal literacy projects and presentations. Community groups decide what information they would like students to present to them. Students research and prepare material on a wide range of legal issues, as requested by the community client group, under supervision of qualified lawyers. They then deliver interactive learning sessions in schools and other community based settings.

Recent projects include presentations to a local youth group on Djing - the legal aspects and Anti Social Behaviour.

Here are some comments on our services:

Martin Hyde, Solicitor Travers Smith

'Thank you once again for allowing us to play a part in what we believe to be a very successful scheme that has been, and continues to be of considerable benefit to local Holborn residents'

A recent Advice Clinic client.

...I would like to thank you and your team for the work you have done for me. I highly appreciate your Pro-Bono service; in fact, it was the only reliable and helpful source of advice I came across over this issue. Without it, it seems I would have been lost.'

How to contact us

If you need free advice and assistance on any matter of law, we may be able to help. Student lawyers, supervised by teaching staff, can advise you for free. To find out if we can help, contact the Advice Clinic on +44 (0)20 7404 5787.

How to find us

The Advice Clinic is at 2 - 10 Princeton Street, London WC1 4BH. There is access for wheelchair users and others with mobility problems.