Becom ming a SStuden nt Advisser “The experience has been e exceptionaally worthw while. I haave acquireed so manyy skills, and d have learrnt a ning was veery beneficcial and ovverall, the eexperiencee has great deal from the LAC team.. The train cem mented my decision tto enter the field of law.” Shahaillya Stephensoon (Student AAdviser 2009‐2011)
Connecting you to the legal profession and real client cases WHAT WE DO The Legal Advice Centre (LAC) provides free legal advice to the public, students and staff. We act as a first‐tier advice agency, providing preliminary advice on the strength of a client’s case, the processes that need to be followed and the explanation of complex legal issues. Clients come to us from a wide variety of backgrounds and present a breadth of legal issues. This provides Queen Mary law students with the opportunity to experience law in a practical context and to develop many of the skills required for successful entry into the profession. The LAC runs four primary advice projects throughout the academic year. These are:
Where we can help clients:
General Advice
Covering employment law, consumer issues, landlord and tenant disputes, private contracts, leasehold and freehold issues, business partnerships, immigration and torts.
Pink Law
Covering cohabitation, civil partnerships, immigration and employment discrimination.
Employment Law
Landlord and Tenant Disputes
Leasehold and Freehold Disputes
Consumer Law
Tort Law
Pink Business
Covering company law for the LGBT community.
Civil Partnerships
Law for the Arts
Cohabitation
Covering all intellectual property issues for the creative industries.
Immigration
LGBT Criminal Justice
Company Law
Contract Law
Intellectual Property Law
Medical Negligence
Personal Injury
Wills & Probate
WHAT OUR STUDENT ADVISERS DO There are opportunities for approximately 72 students to volunteer as Student Advisers in the LAC, selected from the second and final year LLB undergraduates. Our Student Advisers undergo an extensive training programme on Wednesday afternoons for 6 – 7 weeks. The legal profession, academics and QMUL Careers deliver the training. After the first two weeks of training, our Student Advisers are then given their first client case. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, we operate our advice sessions where the Student Advisers interview clients under the supervision of a volunteer solicitor from one of our partner law firms. After the client interview, the Student Advisers research the client’s legal issues and draft a letter of advice. Our Student Advisers must demonstrate that they can act professionally, abide by ethical codes of conduct and respect confidentiality. They must also commit to: Four evenings throughout the academic year excluding the Christmas period but including reading weeks Six or seven Wednesday afternoons for training at the beginning of term Working independently or with a partner on client cases Making themselves available for client work throughout the term
Providing Access to Justice
CLIENT SOLUTIONS
We provide full written advice on clients’ legal issues within fourteen days of their appointment with us. If we are unable to assist them, we have one of the largest ‘sign‐posting’ databases in the country so every client who contacts us can be provided with alternate options.
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT We work closely with our Student Advisers from the moment they join us. Our aim is to help them develop both professionally and personally. Everything we do, from the rules we put in place, to the procedures we follow, is all about a student’s professional development.
OUR NETWORKS In the LAC, we look beyond the obvious and have links with BABSEA, Lawyers without Borders, BLAGG, LAGLA, Stonewall, Age Concern, Thames Magistrates Court, Snaresbrook Court and many other organisations
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OUR CONNECTIONS City law firms Allen & Overy, Field Fisher Waterhouse, Mishcon de Reya, Nabas Legal and Reed Smith support the LAC. Over 100 solicitors volunteer in the supervision of our Student Advisers. Because of our strong links with the profession, we are able to offer sixteen guaranteed work placements to successful Student Advisers as well as selective mentoring programme. OUR REPUTATION Since 2006, 100% of our Student Advisers have said that their experience was ‘good’ to ‘excellent’. 100% of the clients who provided feedback said they would use our services again and recommend us to a friend. The LAC also has a reputation of excellence within the profession. In 2008, Queen Mary was the only university to be shortlisted for the Law Society Excellence Awards .We have also had incredible success at the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Awards: 2011 Finalist for three prestigious awards; The Lawyer Award for Pro Bono Team of the Year, The Times Higher Award for Leadership and Management and the LawWorks Award for Pro Bono Partnership of the Year with Reed Smith. We were also highly commended at the Attorney General’s Pro Bono awards for Best Team of Students and runner‐up for Best Law School. 2010 Winner Best Team of Students and runner‐up for Best New Project at the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Awards. 2009 Highly commended for Best Team of Students, Best New Project and Best Law School at the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Awards. 2008 Winner Best New Project at the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Awards. Finalist and only university to be shortlisted for the Law Society Excellence Awards.
Providing Access to Justice
you WHAT YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO BECOME A STUDENT ADVISER Working in the LAC will provide you You must be a second or final year LLB undergraduate at Queen Mary, University “I enjoyed many aspects of the LAC but the most with a wide range of transferable of London to apply to become a Student Adviser. exciting and insightful aspect was definitely the skills and experiences, not just for the interviews. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with legal profession. real clients with real issues. It gave me an invaluable All you need to do is complete the application form online by SEPTEMBER 9th feel of what it is like to be a solicitor. I gained Here are just a few: 2011. incredibly useful skills that I was not even aware of until the final skills session. The most useful to me Professionalism were definitely my researching skills, my interpersonal We do not accept applications past the stated deadline for any reason. Time management skills, my time management skills and my Case management professionalism.” Practical legal research Students are selected on the basis of the following: Responsibility Ganan Sivayoganathan (Student Adviser 2009 – 2010) Law in a practical context Ability to meet the stated deadline The application of law Client management Attention to detail on the application form Teamwork Grammar and spelling Client relationships Ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of the role of the Student Professional relationships Adviser Confidence To apply: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/studentadviserapplications Communication Dedication to developing the skills required to become a Student Adviser Transition between academic Academic ability to understand and research complex legal issues and practical legal situations Working within a defined framework of guidelines “I enjoyed many aspects of the LAC but the most exciting and insightful aspect was Working within designated Providing Access to Justice definitely the interviews. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with real clients with roles real issues. It gave me an invaluable feel of what it is like to be a solicitor. I gained Questioning techniques incredibly useful skills that I was not even aware of until the final skills session. The Interpersonal skills most useful to me were definitely my researching skills, my interpersonal skills, my Identifying client needs time management skills and my professionalism.” Active listening Ganan Sivayoganathan (Student Adviser 2009 – 2010) Adaptive approach
Impartiality and objectivity Record keeping Recognising key points Observation skills Client care
Legal Advice Centre Department of Law Queen Mary, University of London Mile End Road E1 4NS lac@qmul.ac.uk www.advicecentre.law.qmul.ac.uk
Providing Access to Justice
To apply: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/studentadviserapplications Legal Advice Centre Department of Law lac@qmul.ac.uk www.advicecentre.qmul.ac.uk