SOAS Expands Pro-Bono Legal Advice With Personal Injury Clinic
A free legal clinic focusing on personal injury law will launch following a partnership between Hodge Jones and Allen Solicitors and SOAS. The law clinic will make legal advice more accessible through an online format, which is provided by experienced lawyers in this field.
The clinic will also offer work experience opportunities for law students in the SOAS College of Law – eight students in total, across both undergraduate and postgraduates, will benefit from observing real life cases and assist members of the public who are otherwise unable to access justice.
The clinic will also offer work experience opportunities for law students in the SOAS College of Law.
The partnership between SOAS and Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors demonstrates a combined commitment to furthering access to justice and clinical legal education by helping make personal injury claims more accessible for the general public, particularly for those who cannot afford to pay for legal advice and representation. The clinic also bridges the gap between legal education and practical application, preparing students to enter the field as confident, experienced professionals while fulfilling a much-needed community service.
Dr Clara Della Croce, Clinical Legal Education and Pro-bono Director and Careers Tutor, SOAS, commented: “In an era defined by ruinous cuts to legal aid, the College of Law is committed to supporting legal projects bridging the gap in legal representation whilst simultaneously providing an opportunity for our students to see the law in action, engage with their local community, and promote social justice more broadly. We are very much looking forward to collaborating with HJA on this clinic.”
Making the law more accessible to victims of negligence is a critical component of social justice
Oscar Tønner Frandsen, Lecturer and Deputy Director for Legal Clinics at SOAS, said: “Making the law more accessible to victims of negligence is a critical component of social justice and will give students an excellent grounding in how the law operates as a crucial mechanism for promoting accountability and fairness. We are delighted to collaborate with HJA on this new legal clinic offering students at the College of Law an opportunity to gain an insight into a claimant focused personal injury practice.”
Daniel Denton, Personal Injury Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors, said: “I’m excited to partner with the talented students at SOAS College of Law while we work together to fulfil a crucial societal need, providing members of the local community with access to justice. I believe it is vital to continue to raise the visibility of important personal injury claims and make them more accessible to those who need assistance in understanding their full legal rights. The exposure to real-life cases will also be invaluable to students and provide them with key skills that will complement their studies.”
This latest clinic has broadened SOAS’s clinical legal education programme that is designed to foster inclusion and where students have an opportunity to enhance their employability and benefit from practical experiences. Other pro-bono clinics include a Detention Law Clinic, Environmental law advice clinic and partnerships with different organisations – all are available to view on the SOAS website and provide a law-in-action approach.
To request assistance from the Personal Injury Law Clinic, submit this form.