The European Law Students' Association (ELSA) at Queen Mary University of London has formed a new partnership with the Legal Advice Centre (University House) in Bethnal Green. The partnership will allow ELSA QM members to volunteer at the centre and attend training sessions, with the goal of representing clients of the centre at their appeal hearings.
The Legal Advice Centre (University House) was first established in 1941 and provides independent legal advice to members of the Tower Hamlets area.
Queen Mary has an existing arrangement with the Legal Advice Centre (University House), through the QMUL law student senior status society. The new partnership with ELSA will allow even more QMUL students to benefit from volunteering opportunities at the Centre.
Ten ELSA QM law student members were offered training on welfare benefits and Special Educational Needs tribunals at the London offices of Clifford Chance in October 2014 and a further ten opportunities were announced by ELSA in March 2015.
ELSA QM law students will also have the chance to get involved with the 'Hybrid Charity Shop', a new project at the LAC (University House). Clothing collection banks will be set up at Queen Mary's Mile End and Lincoln's Inn Fields campuses.
Mihaela Angelova, President of the ELSA QMUL, established the partnership with the centre and said:
“The Director of the Centre, Eddie Coppinger, decided to support our society’s vision for ‘a just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity’. He agreed to welcome a number of inspiring young law students by giving them a chance to learn, contribute and assist solicitors from the City in supporting the LAC activities in providing a free, accessible, client centred legal advice service to the public. I still remember my first point of touch with the team at the Centre and their prompt positive response. Their support and trust in our society has been invaluable as the Centre is the first partner secured in the history of ELSA QM.”
The European Law Students’ Association at Queen Mary is a local branch of the world’s largest law students’ association comprised of more than 41,000 members across the globe, an association providing a platform for law students and young lawyers to learn about other cultures and legal systems in a spirit of critical dialogue and scientific co-operation.
Queen Mary University of London's own Legal Advice Centre (LAC) also provides free legal advice to members of the public and staff and students at Queen Mary University of London.