Over £163,000 of free advice offered by Teesside Law Clinic
An initiative run by Teesside University Law School has helped dozens of vulnerable and unrepresented people access tens of thousands of pounds worth of free legal advice in the last year.
The Teesside Law Clinic, which has recently been shortlisted for two Northern Law Awards, delivers free legal advice, guidance and representation to the public by law students under the supervision of trained legal professionals.
Over the academic year 2023/24, the total amount of free legal advice offered by the Law Clinic is estimated to be worth more than £163,000.
Over that time period it has supported 63 clients across a range of legal services including employment law, family law, civil disputes, tenants’ rights and wills.
The Law Clinic has also just launched a unique new service offering procedural advice and support to people at Middlesbrough Family Court, one of only two similar schemes in the whole country and the only one in the North of England.
This pioneering approach has seen the Law Clinic shortlisted for Best Pro Bono/Community Initiative at the Northern Law Awards, while Emma Harbron, Senior Lecturer in Legal Practice, is a finalist for the Law Teacher of the Year Award.
As well as supporting members of the community to access legal advice and support which may otherwise have been unavailable to them, Teesside Law Clinic provides students with vital experience working on real-world cases.
Angela King, Head of Department (Law, Policing and Investigation) in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law, said: “Teesside Law Clinic is an amazing resource which over the years has helped hundreds of people gain access to justice.
“The value of the free service provided by Teesside Law Clinic in this last year is indicative of the vital role it plays within our community, helping people to get access to legal support and advice which might ordinarily have been unavailable to them.”
Emma Harbron, who pioneered the family court scheme, added: “The Law Clinic provides real value to our students by giving them opportunity to take control of their own cases and deal directly with clients.
“It helps develop skills and knowledge which will be invaluable to them in their careers and help make an immediate impact in the workplace.”
The winners of the Northern Law Awards will be announced on 27 June 2024.
More information on Teesside Law Clinic: https://www.tees.ac.uk/schools/ssshl/lawschool/law_clinic.cfm
Study Law at Teesside University: https://www.tees.ac.uk/undergraduate_courses/law/