The University of Law in Liverpool has recently launched a new free legal advice clinic.
The clinic is helping Ulaw’s post graduate students practice their professional skills whilst supporting the local community with as many different legal issues as possible.
In order to assist with a wide range of legal problems, University of Law are looking for Volunteer Legal Professionals to offer remote guidance and possibly more…
What are we asking Remote Guidance Volunteers to do:
The clinic is looking for professionals to confirm they would be happy to receive an email when the clinic receives a case within their area of specialism and the volunteer reply to confirm whether or not they are able to assist on that occasion. Assistance will involve offering help, either via email only, such as considering a draft letter of advice and providing comments/feedback for improvement or also offering an additional telephone meeting with the students to discuss the case. The support is intended to help guide the students in their research and advice, ensuring all necessary matters have been considered and adequately dealt with.
What are we asking Clinic Volunteers to do:
The clinic is also looking for practising professionals to host a regular e.g. monthly term time clinic where they interview pro-bono client and provide advice whilst being shadowed by University of Law postgraduate students, who will then draft the formal letter of advice confirming what was discussed at the interview.
What will the time commitment be?
For Remote Guidance Volunteers, University of Law will contact you with the brief details of a potential case and if you are happy to proceed as a minimum you will receive the information obtained at client interview and a draft letter of advice to the client for you to review, check and comment upon. You may also be asked to participate in a telephone meeting with the students to discuss the case and their research. On occasion you will be provided with case documents and/or an amended letter of advice for review.
For Clinic Volunteers, the regularity and timing of the clinic will be arranged with you in advance. Appointments will be booked for you in that time period and you will be provided with the initial summary of the client problem. You will then be asked to conduct the interview and provide the client with verbal advice during that interview, whilst being shadowed by a post graduate student. The student will take a record of the advice and draft the same in a formal letter. You will be asked to check the advice in the letter matches that given during the interview.
What will volunteers get out of this?
Volunteers will get to assist members of the public and the local community who may otherwise not have access to professional advice, whilst also assisting with the training and development of Liverpool’s future legal professionals.