Law students at Oxford are working in partnership with a local law firm to offer support to needy clients in legal aid cases. The Oxford Legal Assistance (OLA) programme was launched as a pilot scheme in November 2009, during the UK’s National Pro Bono Week. Students proposed the OLA initiative, which was developed with the Law Faculty and with local firm Turpin & Miller Solicitors LLP, who have clients travelling to them from as far away as Cardiff to make use of the legal aid service that they provide.

Two second-year undergraduate co‑chairs, Ayaaz Nawab (Trinity College) and Daniel Cashman (Exeter College), have helped to establish and run the OLA programme, and were charged with selecting sixteen out of fifty student volunteers to be part of the project, based on the passion, dedication, and experience of the applicants.

Both undergraduate and postgraduate students are involved with the OLA project, and provide weekly assistance by updating the statements and paperwork of existing clients, and interviewing new clients, which enables the solicitors at Turpin & Miller to spend more time giving higher-level legal attention to the cases. Students receive supervision and training from Turpin & Miller, covering some of the legal issues that face clients, as well as practical skills such as how to interview clients, accurately record information, and deal with difficult situations.

The OLA programme is a pilot scheme, which will be reviewed at the end of the academic year and, we hope, extended next year to give more students the opportunity to assist with this pro bono project.

Link(s)

Oxford Legal Assistance
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published Thursday 28 January 2010