Legal Advice for the Common Good

Law Students provide supervised legal service to individuals and communities experiencing disadvantage. In addition to gaining experience working with clients, supervisors and other stakeholders, students engage with disadvantaged people and understand the need for pro bono (term from the Latin expression meaning “for the public good”) legal services. They work in partnership with community and specialized law centres and other non-profit institutions.

 

Dates: From: 2021 (January)

Continues

 

Context: Based on the premise that most community problems intersect with legal matters, students were encouraged not to confine themselves to legal boundaries but possess a deeper concern for the disadvantaged.

 

Solidarity action: To address the legal needs of the community, focusing on marginalized and disadvantaged groups, thereby contributing positively to societal well-being and justice.

Learning: To empower students with skills to engage with communities/individuals faced with disadvantage, and mould them into future champions of community engagement; to critically evaluate areas of law and to better serve the demands of social justice, human dignity and the common good.

 

Direct beneficiaries of the solidarity action: From children to senior citizens (+65) who live in the city home to the educational institution. An estimated 10,000 people are direct and indirect beneficiaries.

 

Type of service: Mixed/hybrid form

 

Main activities carried out by students: Students provide supervised legal services to the homeless, addressing poverty and hunger, and support health and well-being initiatives by tackling mental health issues through specialized pro bono legal centers. They also conduct research in legal reforms.  

 

Number of weekly hours that students dedicate to the project: 8 hours per week during 10 weeks.

 

Mandatory nature: It’s mandatory for those Law undergraduates who must work 80 hours pro bono.

 

A. Students: The growth is threefold: Develop a stronger understanding of the mission of ACU and its Catholic partner institutions; apply legal knowledge to real-life cases involving everyday people and businesses; and collaborate with colleagues, supervisors, and all relevant stakeholders.

B. Community: This programme contributes to the common good, while preparing graduates to carry forward Pope Francis’ call for solidarity with marginalized communities and to “”go out to the peripheries,”” advocating for justice and human dignity.

 

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