Students provide legal help to the homeless

Law

Law students at the University of Adelaide are helping homeless and other vulnerable people with free legal advice.

Run out of the Westcare Church and Day Centre premises in Wright Street in the city, students hold a weekly legal clinic under the supervision of their lecturers - and they believe they are filling a vital need in community legal services.

"A lot of issues that people come in with are not necessarily legal problems," said Sophie Dolling, who has just completed her double degree in Media and Law. "Often, it's something relatively simple like not being able to deal with documentation and the bureaucracy surrounding banks or public authorities.

"They get swamped by the paperwork and may not understand it. Sometimes they can't deal with the issue because of everything else going on in their life. We've found that by sorting out this one small problem, we can make a massive difference. They tell us they don't have anywhere else to go."

Adelaide Legal Outreach Service is run by third and fourth-year law students as part of an elective subject called Clinical Legal Education. Their supervisors are senior lecturers Margaret Castles and Kathleen McEvoy.

Ms Castles said that since the clinic started in 2005, the students have helped more than 90 clients.

"The students come here not really having done anything in legal practice and by the end of the course they are extremely competent," Ms Castles said.

"They get really valuable experience working with disadvantaged people in the community, and learning about pro bono legal work."

The clinic doesn't advise on family law or criminal law; those cases are referred on to other bodies such as the Legal Services Commission. Common issues that arise are industrial relations, including work law and unfair dismissal claims, parole issues, and expiation notices (offences where if a fine is paid but no charge is made, such as driving offences).

Louise Adams, who has recently completed her Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and Law double degree, said: "It's one of the most valuable courses in the Law degree. We learn to apply our knowledge and gain practical skills. And there is a lot of reward. People are just so grateful they have someone they can talk to about these problems."

The students do all the interviewing, write letters and make all enquiries. The supervisors check their work and sign off.

Sophie said: "It's been really good experience. We get to do pretty much everything ourselves but can still get advice when we need it."

In addition to the legal outreach service at Westcare, students are also working on an outreach service to members of the Somalian community in the Western suburbs of Adelaide, under the guidance of solicitor Georgina Hone.

The Service operates on Fridays between 10am and 4pm throughout the year. Students also volunteer at the service during semester breaks.

Story by Robyn Mills