Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Supreme Court judge opens new Law Clinic
The clinic, which will provide advice ranging from family issues and housing to immigration and debt, was officially opened by Lady Black - only the second ever female judge at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
Part of Leeds Law School, the clinic, based at 10 Queen Square in the city centre, will start taking clients in September.
Rebecca Hopkinson, Pro Bono Manager of Leeds Law School, said: “The clinic is a really exciting project that will benefit the university, the students and the local community.
“Our new facility will open up the opportunity for real, hands-on experience of legal practise to our students, as well as a chance to offer free legal advice to members of the public.
“This new space will also allow us to run our new elective undergraduate module for our students that concentrates on learning through experience.
“Students will develop key transferable skills such as interviewing, legal research and letter writing; their pro bono experience will also significantly improve their chances of getting a great job.”
The new facility will replace the pro bono space that Leeds Law School currently has in the university’s Portland building on Portland Way.
The new Law Clinic is a significant upgrade and features a suite of interview rooms where students will be able to meet and speak to members of the local community, research their issues and then provide a letter of advice approved by a qualified supervisor.
Each interview room will have webcam surveillance so the students can be closely monitored by a practising law professional when working with clients.
The clinic brings local law firms even closer to the university’s student community and, crucially, provides students with invaluable first-hand experience.
Deveral Capps, the Dean of Leeds Law School, said: “Having office space separate from the main part of the Law School adds a huge amount to the ‘real life’ experience that our pro bono activities offer.
“The space is designed to look exactly like a real solicitor’s office would look, if not, in truth, slightly better!
“The location in Queen Square - one of only two remaining Georgian squares in Leeds - is perfect and we do look forward to helping solve real-life legal problems.”
Leeds Law School’s Law Clinic will open its doors to the public one day a week from September. Clients are requested to make appointments in advance by emailing probono@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or calling 0113 812 3627.