Page 13 - Law Academic Newsletter 2015

University of
Johannesburg Law Clinic – Making a Difference in the Community since 1981
Profile
The UJ Law Clinic opened its doors in 1981, with only 18 students, one of them being the current Executive Dean of the Law Faculty at UJ, Prof. PH O’Brien. The first Clinic was conducted from a Bosmont community centre and made a huge difference in the lives of many under-privileged people. The aim of the UJ Law Clinic has always been to:
(a) Educate final-year LLB students using the Clinical Legal Education methodology; and
(b) Deliver free legal services to needy members of the public in line with the guidelines of the Law Society of South Africa.
The UJ Law Clinic has grown and developed, and now assumes a leading position among its peers in South Africa. The training that the students undergo is intense. Every final year LLB student has to work 80 hours in the
Law Clinic as part of Applied Legal Studies. Their work is closely supervised and assessed by five practising attorneys, as well as a director who is also a practising attorney. The director also serves on the executive committee of the South African University Law Clinics Association, SAULCA.
The teaching methodology is a prime example of experiential learning and is based on the concept of service learning. Combining pro bono services to the less privileged sector of our community with skills training and development, our live client model is one that elicits great interest from pro bono organisations in South Africa and other countries. Delegations from Liberia, Afghanistan and India have in recent years visited our Law Clinic to gain knowledge and insight into our clinical model.
Soweto Clinic
13