UCL Centre for Access to Justice Fund

Why your support matters

In the UK, legal advice has become much less accessible, particularly for low-income or vulnerable individuals. Cuts to legal aid have drastically reduced the availability of free legal advice and representation, leaving many unable to pay for a solicitor. Across England and Wales, ‘advice deserts’ mean that  individuals cannot  access local legal aid providers in key areas of law such as housing, welfare benefits, and immigration. At the same time, the sector is also facing a recruitment crisis with fewer graduates entering the legal aid practice.

Supporting vulnerable communities

Through the Centre for Access to Justice, UCL is addressing these challenges head-on. The Centre combines legal education and research with the provision of pro bono and legally aided advice to vulnerable communities, linking academic insight with practical impact.

The Centre works across multiple priorities to create the next generation of practitioners that can meet the demands of a 21st century justice system through teaching, student engagement, and practical experience.

UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (UCL iLAC)

The Centre's largest project, the UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (UCL iLAC), delivers vital legal services for London communities. The Clinic specialises in welfare benefits, housing, community care, and education, providing both advice and representation. Since its launch in 2016, the Clinic has supported over 800 clients working on over 1000 cases. 

As the only university in the UK to hold a government legal aid contract, iLAC can go the extra mile for those in greatest need while giving students direct exposure to the realities of legal aid practice. Its excellence has been recognised with the Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency of the Year award at the 2022 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards — the first and only university to receive this honor.

Student learning and engagement

Since the Centre’s establishment 12 years ago, 252 students have taken Access to Justice and Community Engagement as part of their LLB degree. This undergraduate clinical course examines the fundamentals of access to justice from both a theoretical and practical perspective, giving students the opportunity to conduct supervised casework in the Clinic’s main areas of practice.

In addition each year the Centre runs 20-25 pro bono projects, offering  hundreds of students the opportunity to work with local advice agencies and third sector organisations, volunteer in schools, and run their own projects raising awareness around social justice issues. In 2024/25, 231 student volunteers worked across 25 pro bono projects and partnerships, gaining invaluable practical experience.  The Centre also runs mentoring schemes and careers events to foster and support the next generation of public interest lawyers.

The impact

In 2024/25, iLAC received a total of 1339 enquiries which is a 10% increase in the number of enquiries received in 2023/24. The scale of demand highlights the ongoing effects of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis on disadvantaged groups. Despite this, the Clinic could take on only 213 new cases - just under 16% of all new enquiries. Most of these cases are handled pro bono, with legal aid covering only a quarter of these cases. 

"The clinic has given me an opportunity to explore and learn about different areas of law, gain valuable friendships, and make a change to people's lives. It has been incredibly inspiring for me and given me a strong sense of purpose... without the clinic, I would not be as sure of my aspirations to become a legal aid lawyer." – Former AJCE Student

How you can help

Your gift supports the Centre's work across all our priorities, enabling us to continue providing legal support for vulnerable people and to expand learning opportunities for UCL law students. 

Additional funding could:

• Support students from underrepresented backgrounds through the Summer Fellowship Programme or pro bono bursaries, ensuring that students are not precluded from undertaking valuable experience because of financial circumstances.
• Increase capacity at UCL iLAC, enabling us to support more clients and offer additional volunteering opportunities for students.
• Expand into new areas of law such as family or immigration.
• Provide further pro bono placement opportunities for students in local community organisations.
• Fund a graduate to qualify as a social welfare solicitor, covering two years of qualifying work experience at UCL iLAC and/or SQE exams.

Get in touch

To find out more about supporting the UCL Centre for Access to Justice, please email accesstojustice@ucl.ac.uk.