Portsmouth Business School
Portsmouth students offer free advice on employment law
Tue, Nov 2, 2010
Students from the University’s School of Law interview clients before researching the law and procedure under the direction of tutors. They then send clients detailed written advice, which is supervised and signed by a practising solicitor. All work is done confidentially.
They advise on unfair dismissal, various forms of discrimination, redundancy, harassment, the national minimum wage, working time regulations and work permits for migrant workers.
The Employment Law Clinic aims to meet a need for free legal advice in the community, while also providing a ‘real-life’ experience for the law students.
Supervising solicitor, Anne Stoneham, who is responsible for the clinic said: “The clinic is part of the University’s drive to ensure students are as prepared as they can possibly be for employment and in this increasingly competitive job market there is no substitute for real-life work experience.
“The students gain understanding of how law works in practice and members of the public gain greater awareness of their legal rights and responsibilities. Free detailed legal advice on employment law is rare, but unfortunately problems at work and the loss of jobs are all too common. This new initiative helps people in need and strengthens our law students’ learning experience – it’s a win-win situation.”
The clinic offers legal advice to members of the public who do not qualify for legal aid, yet cannot afford professional legal fees.
“It is tremendous that the University can help meet unmet legal need in the community, whilst also educationally benefiting all students involved. Portsmouth students are using their budding legal skills to make a real difference to people’s lives,” said Anne.
Anyone looking for employment law advice can contact the clinic by telephoning 023 9284 4080 or emailing penny.jones@port.ac.uk. The clinic re-opens on Wednesday 10th November.