The University of Bristol Law Clinic, Free Legal Advice and Support.
Frequently Asked Questions
The University of Bristol Law Clinic provides free advice and support to those unable to obtain legal support from elsewhere.
-
What are your fees?
The law clinic is a FREE service, we do not charge our clients for the advice we give, however if a case
is taken to tribunal or further there may be fees charged by other bodies involved.
- Are you qualified lawyers?
Cases are managed by law students at the University of Bristol.
All advice is checked by the director of the law clinic who is a qualified lawyer.
- How do I know if I'm eligible for help?
All members of the public may be eligible for support from the law clinic. Decisions are made on a case
by case basis. Please call our 24hr answerphone service or E-mail us with details of the case and we shall let
you know if we can help.
- How is the Law Clinic Run?
An executive committee of law students run the law clinic under the direction of Dr Gerard McMeel, A member of the School
Of Law academic staff.
Approximately 120 law students staff the clinic. Student training in client interview methods and procedure is compulsory,
and further talks, for example on case handling, legal research, legal aid, procedures and relevant areas of law are
offered to all staff.
- Will my case be confidential?
All interviews, phone calls and correspondence between the law clinic students and its clients is kept strictly
confidential.
- How will my case be managed?
Once you have been in touch with the law clinic (either by phone or Email) your case will be assigned to two or more student
advisors. At least one of the students will be an experienced member of the law clinic's team. The students will contact you to
arrange a meeting (which will be held at the Wills Memorial Hall) to obtain the relevant facts of your case. The students will then spend
10 to 20 hours researching the legal issues surrounding the case. Before advice is given it is checked over by an appropriate lawyer and,
if verified, a letter detailing the advice in a clear and understandable manner is sent to the client. Any further action will only
take place with the client's full consent.
- What if we cannot help?
If the law clinic is unable to deal with your case for any reason, the clinic will refer the case to the appropriate agency or a
reasonably priced solicitor.