Working closely with local advice services, the legal profession, academic institutions, the judiciary and courts, we encourage collaborations which address local needs, providing support for new pro bono clinics, and extending the reach of existing clinics.
Our recently published Clinics report (for the year April 2017-March 2018), demonstrates the growing contribution clinics across the LawWorks Clinics Network are making to access to justice. The report includes a summary from our ‘Better Information Project’ on the impacts for clinic clients. Key findings from the report are that:
- Clinics in the LawWorks Network received nearly 60,000 enquiries, and provided legal advice to around 40,000 clients – a 14 per cent increase on the previous year. 35 per cent of the advice provided was on family law, with housing and employment law as the next largest advice categories;
- Over 9,000 individuals were recorded as volunteering across the Network, a 33 per cent increase on the number recorded the previous year;
- 76 per cent of clinic coordinators saw an increase in demand for pro bono legal advice over the period;
- 72 per cent of clients, whose income was recorded, had incomes below the Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum income standard;
- 68 per cent of clients who took part in our outcomes research said that they felt less stressed as a result of the support received.
LawWorks Clinics Conference – 6th June
The first LawWorks Clinics Conference will bring together clinic coordinators from different sectors and specialisms - including law schools, advice agencies and law firms - to share good practice, exchange ideas, review the landscape and develop the clinics community.
CLEO
We have also benefited especially from our partnership with CLEO (the Clinical Legal Education Organisation) which encourages clinics to become a mainstream part of law school programmes. In January we held a joint conference in Manchester on “LawTech in clinical legal education settings,” following on from last year’s successful event in Nottingham on the SQE.
Clinic training and resources
LawWorks members and clinic co-ordinators can also access clinic resources and information about training.