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Support the UCL Centre for Access to Justice

Support vulnerable communities and nurture future legal practitioners by contributing to UCL's Centre for Access to Justice.

In the UK, legal advice has become much less accessible, especially for low income or vulnerable individuals. Cuts to legal aid have drastically reduced the availability of free legal advice and representation for those unable to pay for a solicitor. In many areas across England and Wales, ‘advice deserts’ mean that many individuals are not able to access a local legal aid provider in key areas of law such as housing, welfare benefits, and immigration. The sector is also facing a recruitment crisis with fewer and fewer graduates entering the legal aid profession.

Supporting vulnerable communities through the UCL Centre for Access to Justice

Through the Centre for Access to Justice, UCL is placing itself on the front line of this challenge. The Centre combines legal education and research, with the provision of pro bono and legally aided advice to vulnerable communities – drawing a direct link between the academic and the practical.

The Centre works across several priorities creating the next generation of practitioners that can meet the demands of a 21st century justice system through our teaching and student engagement work.

UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (UCL iLAC)

The Centre's largest project – the UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (UCL iLAC) – offers vital legal services for London communities, providing advice and representation with specialisms in welfare benefits, housing, community care and education. Since its launch in 2016, the Clinic has supported over 800 clients working on over 1000 cases. As the only university in the UK to hold a government legal aid contract, its work is emboldened to go the extra mile for those in great need while exposing students to the realities of legal aid practice.

As a testament to the quality of the work carried out, the Clinic was named Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency of the Year at the 2022 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards, the first and only university to have received this award.

In the 11 years since the Centre’s establishment, 232 students have taken Access to Justice and Community Engagement as part of their LLB degree - our undergraduate clinical course which examines the fundamentals of access to justice from both a theoretical and practical perspective. Integrated into the learning experience is the opportunity for students to conduct supervised casework in the Clinic’s main areas of practice.

In addition to the opportunities at UCL iLAC, every year the Centre runs 20-25 pro bono projects, giving hundreds of students the opportunity to work with local advice agencies and third sector organisations, volunteer in schools, and run their own projects raising awareness around social justice issues. In the academic year 2022/23, 180 student volunteers worked across 25 pro bono projects and partnerships.  The Centre also runs a mentoring scheme and a series of careers events to foster and support the next generation of public interest lawyers.

How to support the work of UCL Centre for Access to Justice

Your gift will support the Centre's work across all our priorities, enabling us to continue providing legal support for vulnerable people and to expand learning opportunities for UCL law students. 

Additional funding could:

  • Support students from underrepresented backgrounds through the Summer Fellowship Programme or pro bono bursaries, ensuring that students are not precluded from undertaking valuable experience because of financial circumstances
  • Increase capacity at UCL iLAC, enabling us to support more clients and provide more volunteering opportunities for students
  • Help us to expand into new areas of law such as family or immigration
  • Provide further pro bono placement opportunities for students in local community organisations
  • Support a graduate to qualify as a social welfare solicitor by funding them to complete two years of qualifying work experience at UCL iLAC and/or sit their SQE exams.

 

Donate to the Centre for Access to Justice

In the academic year 2022-23, the iLAC received 1029 new enquiries, a 44% increase on the previous year. The scale of enquiries shows the impact the pandemic and cost of living crisis has had on disadvantaged groups, who form the bulk of the client base. This year, the Clinic was only able to take on 137 new cases, just over 10% of the total enquiries received. Legal aid covered only a small proportion of these cases, with the vast majority of our work being carried out pro bono.

"The clinic has given me an opportunity to explore and learn about different areas of law, gain valuable friendships and make a change to people's lives. It has been incredibly inspiring for me and given me a strong send of purpose... without the clinic, I would not be as sure of my aspirations to become a legal aid lawyer." - Former AJCE Student.