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Our Collaboration with Surrey Law Centre
12 July 2010
The University’s School of Law and Surrey Law Centre have joined forces to benefit Law students and disadvantaged local people.
There are four placements available for Law students across the academic year, in addition to a volunteering scheme for many more, to work with solicitors at the Surrey Law Centre to tackle the legal problems of people who cannot afford to pay for a solicitor.
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This is the first collaboration of its kind in the UK and was launched by Cherie Booth QC on 12 July 2010 with a public lecture at the University. Ms Booth congratulated both partners on their initiative and encouraged students to seize this opportunity:
"Law Centres are important as a basic matter of access to justice. I think for law students the ability to meet real people and start applying the law that you’re learning in theory is a vital part of becoming a well-rounded lawyer".
Cherie Booth QC
Placements
If you are a Law student interested in a placement at Surrey Law Centre during your third undergraduate year, please contact the School of Law's Senior Placement Tutor:
Claire Lillywhite , 01483 68 3099, c.lillywhite@surrey.ac.ukVolunteering
Surrey Law Centre helped 2,600 people last year, 90% of whom turned out to have two or more legal problems in addition to the one they first came for help with.
We are exploring the possibility of running a clinical legal education programme with Surrey Law Centre as the next development in the collaboration. She said: "Most students only get a chance to get limited work experience. But Surrey Law students can now work for extended periods of time at the Law Centre, gaining experience in handling client enquiries, interviewing clients and giving advice".
Laura Melbourne, Manager of the Surrey Law Centre, said: "Our new walk-in centre just off the high street enables us to help even more people, especially with the assistance of Surrey’s Law students for our solicitors. We save the tax payer over £34,000 for every eviction we help avoid and provide a vital service for the community, which both we and the university are a part of".
