The module involves students working to assist members of the local community. To participate, students will be trained, primarily on client interviewing techniques and practical research, before they can act as advisors.

Students, working in pairs, will carry out guided research on relevant legal issues using the on-line resources to which the University already subscribes. Students will reflect on the research and its application to the problem in meetings with their supervisors which take place before and after client meetings.

Students will then meet clients, asking questions to elicit information about the problems, allowing them to draft letters of advice which have accurately to reflect the law but be written in a way that is intelligible to the clients.

The students will also be able to enhance their PDP profiles, by developing skills in a practical and relevant way to suit the needs of the client base.

Large group training sessions, covering skills, such as research, interviewing and drafting as well as the clinic’s rules, which incorporate those of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Smaller groups allowing the students to work on a hypothetical client problem, echoing the steps that they will take with clinic clients after training.

The bulk of the contact time will be spent with the students in preparing for client meetings and in helping them to draft letters of advice.

The 220 hours of independent study will be split between:
- time studying the clinic’s manual and using a variety of methods to learn the skills needed for clinic; and
- Research for client meetings and drafting letters of advice.

An assessed client interview worth 25% of the marks
An assessed drafting exercise worth 25% of the marks
A reflective journal worth 50% of the marks

The Pass Mark for the Module: To pass the module the student must achieve a composite mark of at least 40% .

Clinic office with two PCs and a printer. The printer is a necessity, given that a breach of SRA regulations could lead to the clinic being closed, if the supervising solicitor loses his practicing certificate.

Access to Lexis PSL and PLC online, both of which are resources to which the law school already subscribes.

Kerrigan and Murray (eds) A Student Guide to Clinical Legal Education and Pro Bono (Palgrave Macmillan 2011)

Fiona Boyle, Deveral Capps, Philip Plowden, Clare Sandford A Practical Guide to Lawyering Skills (3rd ed Routledge 2005)

Richard Susskind Tomorrow’s Lawyers (OUP 2013)

Students will be required to sign a contract setting out what they are required to do whilst working for the clinic

1. Develop appropriate questions to advise and /or provide solution or solutions to problems and use decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations.
Problem Solving

2. Demonstrate the independent learning ability required to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level for continuing professional development.
Learning

3. Communicate information and provide solutions to specialists and non-specialist audiences.
Communication

4. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of knowledge and originality in the application of that knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge.
Knowledge and Understanding
Application