Transcript slides
Community, Engagement and Social Justice:
Improving the law student experience through
pro bono placements
PROFESSOR KATHRYN HOLLINGSWORTH
Overview
Legacare – local NE
charity providing free
legal advice to ppl with
life-threatening illness
Students undertake
placements over course
of three months
Why the project was established
Law student demand for pro bono
Commitment to social justice within context of a
civic university
Employability
How it worked
12 students recruited initially following full
application process
New students taken on in summer; some given two
week full placement
Exposes students to wide range of legal subjects
Involved in research, file preparation and client
interviewing
Innovation fund supported costs to Legacare of the
student placements
Benefits to students
Putting theory into practice
Real client contact and interaction
Knowing the work they do empowers vulnerable clients
and makes a real difference to the quality of their life
The opportunity to handle a case from start to finish
with strong supervision
Exposure to a variety of legal issues
Strong experience for C.V
Develops holistic skills
Potential for training contract
Opportunity to accrue time to count towards a training
contract
Feedback
Students were overwhelmingly positive:
’I think it is fabulous that LegaCare gives so many
students the opportunity of gaining work
experience.’
‘Thank you for an amazing experience’
Feedback
‘I was able to transfer my academic knowledge to
very practical, real life situations’
‘It has been a really rewarding and challenging
experience’
‘My knowledge and experience has been enhanced
tenfold’
Academic development
Students keen to keep it extra-curricula
and NOT developed into a module:
Would
detract from the ‘altruistic’ feeling
Valued the selection process
More valuable on cv if extra-curricula