Oxford Brookes Law Students Launch Free Legal Advice Clinic with Citizens Advice
By Community Correspondent
Law students at Oxford Brookes University have partnered with Citizens Advice Oxfordshire to launch a new legal advice clinic providing free support to people across the county.
The new clinic will give students supervised, hands-on experience working directly with clients, while helping to meet rising demand for accessible legal advice within the local community.
“Students already volunteer at our clinic in Oxford’s Westgate Library,” said Leslie Topp, an Oxford Brookes graduate and Pro Bono Clinic Coordinator at Citizens Advice Oxfordshire. “Now they will be running a brand new clinic on the Oxford Brookes campus in Headington, making our services even more accessible. This will make an enormous difference to people across Oxfordshire, particularly those who cannot afford to pay for legal advice.”
The clinic will operate every other Wednesday and will be staffed by qualified solicitors and legal advisers who are volunteering their time.
Clients will be able to receive guidance on a wide range of issues, including immigration, family and employment matters.
Law students will work alongside solicitors, supporting clients by accompanying them to appointments, assisting with form-filling, and signposting them to relevant services and agencies.
Dr Charlotte Houghteling, Senior Lecturer in Law at Oxford Brookes University, welcomed the initiative.
“We are excited to be opening this new clinic. Over the autumn, our students completed comprehensive training and will now gain invaluable experience by working directly with solicitors and members of the public.”
Silas Bastow, a final-year law student and Student Coordinator for the clinic, said the opportunity was invaluable.
“It allows students not only to work alongside local legal professionals, but also to see first-hand how lawyers support individuals in need. It creates a vital link between academic study and professional practice, which is increasingly difficult to secure in a competitive job market.”
Members of the public can access the service via the Citizens Advice Oxfordshire website.
