Portsmouth students offer free advice on employment law
Posted on 26. May, 2010 by admin in Business, Law
A free clinic offering employment advice to members of the public is being run by law students at the University of Portsmouth Business School.
The students 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.
Dr Michael Bennett from the School of Law said: “This is an excellent opportunity for students to maximise their learning, while also seeing significant benefits to the community. The students gain experience 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.
“Allowing students to interview clients and work on real situations develops their legal skills and exposes them to ethical dilemmas. I strongly believe that they benefit hugely from becoming involved in the local community and by trying to make a difference.”
Law students can also work on investigating miscarriages of justice through the Innocence Project, an extra-curricular pro bono clinic which works on real cases of prisoners who maintain they are innocent, as well as undertaking work with the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Trading Standards Service or the Portsmouth Mediation Service.
Head of the School of Law, Caroline Strevens said: “The employment law clinic is a great way for students to gain practical experience under supervision. It’s vital in today’s competitive job market for law students to gain realistic overall experience before they graduate. We also aim to develop a consumer advice clinic next year too.”
Anyone looking for employment law advice can contact the clinic by telephoning 023 9284 4080 or emailing penny.jones@port.ac.uk.
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