The module involves students working to assist members of the local community with the provision of legal advice. To participate, students will be trained in a range of practical legal skills as well as professional conduct and ethics, before they can act as advisors.

Students 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, conduct interviews to elicit information about the problems, allowing them to draft letters of advice which accurately reflect the law but be written in a way that is intelligible to the clients.

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

Training sessions, covering skills such as practical research, interviewing and drafting as well as Clinic Professional Conduct will form part of the teaching strategy. The bulk of the contact time will be spent by students in preparing for client meetings and in drafting letters of advice.

Independent study will be split between:

- time studying professional conduct and using a variety of methods to learn the skills needed for clinic; and

- research for client meetings and drafting letters of advice.

REFLECTIVE PORTFOLIO (weighted at 100%) assessing learning outcomes 1 to 4.

Clinic Office with PCs and a printer.

Professional Indemnity Insurance.

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

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

Law Works Manuals

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

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 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

The Staffordshire University Legal Advice Clinic (“SULAC”) is a module in which you will be trained to put the law into practice. You will be providing free legal advice to members of the public and certain sectors of the local community, supervised by a qualified solicitor. SULAC is designed to give you a real-life experience from which you can compare, contrast and critically examine the role of law, lawyers and the legal process, as well as the wider context of human dynamics in practice and legal ethics. SULAC operates in various locations including the court, various hospitals, a local prison as well as at various community hubs across Staffordshire