UCL Centre for Access to Justice

UCL Centre for Access to Justice

• Home
• About
• Clinical Legal Education
• Education Clinic
• Social Welfare Clinic
• Employment Clinic
• Pro Bono Projects
  • UCL Laws Pro Bono Blog
• Events and Opportunities
• Contact Us

Pro Bono Projects

The Justice Gap Advice Guide

This project is run in collaboration with The Justice Gap and Hackney Community Law Centre. UCL students are researching and writing a 30,000 word guide to legal rights for young people in Hackney. The aim is to explain key concepts of law, how it relates to their lives, and encourage young people that a career in law is accessible to people from all backgrounds.  The project has also involved events in local schools in Hackney to disseminate information and conduct ongoing research on young people's view and experiences of the law.

Grassroots

A student-led initiative, the Grassroots project aims to raise awareness of human rights issues with secondary school pupils in Greater London. The project consists of both law and non-law students, who design their own lesson plans in accordance with an overarching syllabus. The interactive course runs for 6 weeks and includes debates, drama and mock trial scenarios. The project culminates in a schools debating tournament held at UCL.  The project currently consists of 40 students and is currently running in 4 schools. 

Buddy Days with IntoUniversity

The aim of this project is to ‘inspire secondary school students to view university as a viable opportunity and help them fulfil their full potential’. Students work with IntoUniversity which collaborates with schools from under-privileged backgrounds and aims to not just let young people see university as a future goal but inspire them to have positive ambitions for the future.  Each UCL student is paired up with 2 school students for the day and they conduct tours on campus, give presentations and conduct workshops.

Crime and Citizenship Scheme

The Law Society provides volunteers for this project, run by the Crime and Citizenship Society at UCL (overseen by VSU).  Students are trained by the society itself, to deliver interactive sessions to primary school students about criminal law and their citizenship rights.

Freelaw Shadowing Scheme

As part of this shadowing experience, students undergo training with the  trainees from Clifford Chance and attend Citizens Advice Clinic sessions over a five week period. Cases deal with all areas of law across the social welfare spectrum (housing, benefits, employment and family law). During this time, students have the opportunity to observe advice giving as well as being tasked with carrying out ad hoc pieces of research or drafting for the solicitors as requested.

Royal Courts of Justice Citizens Advice Bureau

This initiative with Slaughter and May gives students have the opportunity to shadow solicitors as they advise clients at the Royal Courts of Justice on debt, benefits, housing, and employment issues. 

Pathways to Law

UCL students act as mentors to prospective law students thorough the Pathways programme. As part of the programme we run a Human Rights Masterclass each year where school students have the opportunity to explore human rights issues by way of debate and discussion and receive an introduction in the study of Human Rights and Public Law at University level.