| Skip to main content | Skip to navigation | Skip to Search |

[University home]

School of Law

Legal Advice Centre

Students outside the Legal Advice Centre

Background

Legal Advice Centre

Established in 2000, the School of Law's Legal Advice Centre based on campus aims to offer a reliable service to those with legal and associated difficulties and to provide practical experience for the School's law students who are supervised by legal practitioners who are also volunteers.

It is managed by our Director, Mrs Dinah Crystal OBE (Solicitor), and our Deputy Director, Mr Neil Allen (Barrister), with the support of local lawyers and academic staff. The Centre provides free, strictly confidential legal advice to members of the public (including University staff and students).

In October 2009 our second Legal Advice Centre was launched in The Settlement in East Manchester by Michael Mansfield.

To book an appointment:

School of Law Legal Advice Centre (LAC), Unit 18, University Shopping Precinct, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9QH.

Tel: +44 (0)161 306 1264
or +44 (0)161 275 7976

Fax: +44 (0)161 275 0345

Email: free.legal@manchester.ac.uk

East Manchester Legal Advice Centre (EMLAC), New Roundhouse, 1328-1330 Ashton Old Road, Openshaw, Manchester, M11 1JG.

Tel: +44 (0)161 275 0349
or +44 (0)161 614 8317

Fax: +44 (0) 275 0345

Email: free.eastmanlegal@manchester.ac.uk

Legal Advice Centre

Advice

Students have a unique opportunity of being involved with real clients, who have real legal problems, under the supervision of local lawyers.  The Centres are opened throughout both semesters and during the summer holidays.

Following an appointment at the Centre, clients will be advised in writing on their legal position and what steps to take next. Cases are not taken beyond written advice although we may be able to refer clients to other agencies. Up to 350 students (second and third year undergraduates and postgraduates) take part in any one year.

In conjunction with the College of Law, a Legal Advice Centre Vacation Placement Scheme was piloted in the summer of 2011.  The first week of the two week scheme was spent in interviewing clients, researching their cases and sending letters of advice.  The second week consisted of workshops by leading firms and Chambers (including the Legal Advice Centre’s founding sponsors Clifford Chance) on every aspect of becoming a lawyer.  Students also spent a day at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester during the second week.  It is hoped the Scheme will become an annual event.

 

Community Legal Services' Quality Mark

Having been awarded the Community Legal Services' Quality Mark for General Help in its first year the LAC has been enthusiastically endorsed by a succession of high profile figures, all of whom have met students and volunteers at the Centre whilst praising the efforts and achievements of all concerned. 

These have included Baroness Scotland, Cherie Blair, David Lammy (who stated that he felt all law schools should follow the example of Manchester), Lord Goldsmith, Vera Baird, Michael Mansfield and Margaret Mountford. In 2008 Dinah Crystal (Centre Director and Director of Clinical Legal Education) was awarded the OBE for her drive to establish pro bono as an integral part of the law school’s contribution to the community. 

The Legal Advice Centres are sponsored by:

The Legal Advice Centre also works with the College of Law and LawWorks. LawWorks is a charity which aims to provide free legal help to individuals and community groups who cannot afford to pay for it and who are unable to access legal aid.

Streetlaw

This programme is run by second and third year students for first year students, under the supervision of the Director of Clinical Education. Its aim is to provide a variety of community groups with an overview of the law, at their request. For example, aspects of Community Law (minimum pay/holdays) at the Waiyin Chinese Centre, debt/welfare rights at Young Offender Institutions, Stop and Search in schools and consumer rights in East Manchester.

In any one year, up to 150 first year students are involved in the programme.

 

| Skip to main content | Skip to navigation | Skip to Search |