Law Clinic | The University of Sunderland

The Law Clinic allows us to help people who maybe can’t afford legal representation, and at the same time, the students are getting the educational benefit in that they can practice law."

Welcome to the Sunderland Student Law Clinic.

We have now met the maximum number of new enquiries that we are able to assist with and are closed to any new enquiries. If you have made an enquiry with us before this date, your details will be kept on our waiting list and we will contact you shortly.

We will re-open for new enquiries from Monday 4 September 2023.

The law clinic is a limited resource operated by part-time staff and students during term time only. If your matter is urgent and cannot wait, then we would advise that you seek alternative legal advice such as from a solicitor or one of the organisations listed below.

Please also be aware that not all legal matters can be taken on as a case. This may be due to the complexity of the matter, a conflict of interest or areas of law we do not have expertise in; currently this is business law, commercial law and criminal law.

If you are an existing client, email law-clinic@sunderland.ac.uk or call 0191 515 2550 (voicemail facility only). If your matter has become urgent such as a court date coming up soon or deteriorating health, we recommend you seek legal assistance elsewhere such as:

A solicitor, which you can find via the Law Society website or by calling 020 7242 1222
North East Law Centre for employment, family, immigration, and benefits law advice. Call 0191 230 4777
Support Through Court for those without legal representation in court. Call the National Helpline: 03000 810 006
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau
Search for other pro bono (free of charge) organisations via the Law Works website

Students: What the Law Clinic can offer you

You can choose to study in Sunderland Student Law Clinic in your final year of your undergraduate studies and all students studying to become a solicitor on our LLM Legal Practice LPC spend at least half a day each week in clinic, meaning that you have the opportunity to graduate with significant live work experience.

Sunderland Student Law Clinic offers advice and assistance in relation to property/land, family/children matters, divorce, employment law, residential housing, residential landlord/tenant, immigration, wills and probate, and lasting power of attorney.

To date, the Law Clinic has provided assistance to over 600 clients and saved around £500,000 in legal costs. The clinic utilises the industry-standard CRM system, CLiO, providing you with an authentic legal practice experience.

The Law Clinic enables you to:

Work as part of a student law firm
Improve your client interviewing skills
Gain experience of writing professional legal advice
Enhance your graduate prospects with real-life practical experience
Receive training and support from experienced staff and learn the rules and procedures of working in a Law Clinic

How the Clinic works

Pre-interview

If staff decide that a case can be undertaken, the client will be invited to come to the University for an initial interview. The case will be assigned to a student law firm under the supervision of Clinic staff.

Interview

The student law firm will conduct an interview with the client to find out essential information about the case. The students will then consult with Clinic staff to decide whether the case can be taken on.

Advice

Research will be undertaken into the client’s legal issues surrounding the case. The student law firm will then create a letter of advice which will be sent to the client instructing on a suitable course of action.