Legal Aid Clinic
About The Clinic
Overview
The Legal Aid Clinic supports teaching and learning for students at the Norman Manley Law School, while also providing pro bono and other legal services to members of the public. There, students are involved in working on client files under the supervision of experienced attorneys-at-law, who serve as tutors in the clinic.
The work done by students, while at the Legal Aid Clinic, includes being engaged in, among other activities, the conduct of client interviews, undertaking legal research, preparing contracts, wills, documents for filing in courts, and other legal process.
The experience gained by students at the Legal Aid Clinic, is critical to their overall development, as they prepare for practice. It also helps students to develop a better sense of real community needs, while supporting development of their social conscience and commitment to assisting underserved members of the public.
Objectives of the Clinic
- To provide practical clinical legal training through the development of skills and competencies necessary for a Legal Practitioner, in a real-world environment.
- To develop in students, a sense of professional responsibility, social justice and voluntarism.
- To provide access to justice to members of the public, who are unable to afford the usual rates of an attorney-at-law.
Need Legal Assistance?
Click to learn more about the legal services offered, eligibility requirements, and how to contact the Clinic
External Clients InformationCurrent or Prospective Student?
Click to learn more about our Clinical Legal Education Programme and Specialist Clinics
Student InformationHow we work
The Clinic is managed by a Director with a team of the following persons:
- Full time Tutors
- Associate Tutors approved by the Principal
- Administrator
- Legal secretaries
- Receptionist
- Legal Clerk/bearer.
- Students in training
Community Outreach
Advancing our legal services and community outreach mission
The Clinic extends this work into the wider community through initiatives that promote public legal education, increase awareness of legal rights and obligations, and provide further opportunities for students to learn through service.
These activities include the Annual Legal Aid Fair, Student Outreach Projects, Public Education initiatives and Stakeholder Consultations.
Explore each area below:
The Legal Aid Clinic’s work includes public education through a range of activities including student outreach projects, the Annual Legal Aid Fair and key collaborations with the Public sector, Non-Government Organisations and other partners.
These activities seek to increase an understanding of legal rights and obligations, and provide practical legal information to the public
The Annual Legal Aid Fair is the flagship outreach event of the Legal Aid Clinic, bringing legal information, guidance and services directly to the wider community. Free to the public, the event creates an accessible space for persons to learn more about their legal rights and better understand the options available when faced with legal issues.
The Fair brings together attorneys, students, public-sector and justice-related agencies and other partners. It provides students valuable experience engaging directly with the public and provides a platform for organisations and partners to support public legal education and greater access to legal information and services.
Legal Aid Fair 2027
Planning is already underway for the 2027 Legal Aid Fair, which will place a special focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), with mediation at the centre of the programme. The upcoming staging will explore how mediation can help individuals, families and communities resolve disputes without immediately turning to litigation, while providing practical information on how the process works and when it may be appropriate.
For More Information
For more information on the Legal Aid Fair, including partnerships and participation, please contact:
- Norman Manley Law School Legal Aid Clinic | Email: legalaidclinic@nmlscle.com
- Norman Manley Law School Strategic Engagement & Communications Office | Email: communications@nmlscle.com
Each year, Year II students participate in outreach projects - a key component of their practical training. In recognition of their social responsibility, students are required to participate in at least one outreach project, in addition to Legal Aid Fairs hosted by the Clinic or external partners.
Working in their seminar groups, students develop project proposals which are implemented under the supervision of an experienced attorney-at-law.
Primarily focused on public legal education and community service, these projects allow students to apply their developing legal knowledge in practical settings, directly engage with the public and support the development of social responsibility, social justice and community service.
Legal Advice and community needs assessment
Public education group project
The Clinic engages with justice-sector institutions, government agencies, community organisations and other stakeholders on matters affecting access to justice and the delivery of legal services. These consultations support the exchange of knowledge, strengthen referral and service networks, and help ensure that the Clinic’s outreach remains responsive to the needs of the communities it serves.
Partnerships and Affiliations
The Legal Aid Clinic collaborates with a number of organisations in the public and private sectors, drawing on their expertise and support for student training, specialist clinics, legal aid fairs and other public outreach activities. They include:
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The Ministry of Justice
The Clinic collaborates to host or participate in various legal aid fairs and public outreach activities.
The Director of the Norman Manley Law School Legal Aid Clinic is an ex officio member of the Board of the Legal Aid Council.
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The Legal Aid Council
The Clinic collaborates to host or participate in various legal aid fairs and public outreach activities.
The Director of the Norman Manley Law School Legal Aid Clinic is an ex officio member of the Board of the Legal Aid Council.
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The Office of the Public Defender:
Hosts of the clinic’s Human Rights Law Specialist Clinic for Year II students.
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Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA)
Presenters in our Data Protection Specialist Clinic for Year II students.
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Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ)
Hosts of our Maritime Law Clinic
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Administrator General’s Department
Hosts of our Administrative Law Specialist Clinic
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Faculty of Medical Science, Forensics Unit, The UWI Mona
Presenters and co-hosts in our Criminal Law Specialist Clinic
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Design Privacy Limited
Presenters and co-facilitators of our Data Protection Specialist Clinic