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º£½ÇÖ±²¥ in running for prestigious law award

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Law Clinic has been shortlisted as best Pro Bono Community Initiative in the Northern Law Awards for the second consecutive year.

The Law Clinic has a dual purpose in providing law students with real practical experience of handling legal cases, while offering a service to the community in cases where people may otherwise find it difficult to afford legal advice and representation. Since its launch in 2012, º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Law Clinic has dealt with over 1,000 enquires including referrals from solicitors, the courts, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and MPs. The team have also recovered or saved in excess of half a million pounds for clients.

The Law Clinic was commended last year for its work in launching a legal challenge on behalf of a client to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in a bid to secure fair payouts for historic sex abuse victims.

More recent work in the Law Clinic has been offering advice to former steelworkers who were not in a union when the SSI site in Redcar closed.

Andrew Perriman, Senior Law Lecturer in the University’s School of Social Sciences, Business and Law, who runs the Law Clinic and has been shortlisted at the Northern Law Awards for Law Teacher of the Year award for the second consecutive year, said: 'While providing law students with vital experience working with real clients, the level of work carried out in the law clinic highlights how it is providing a lifeline for some people.'

The Law Clinic depends on the support of a number of external partners, among them is Middlesbrough solicitors Punch Robson which is funding students placements to allow the clinic to remain open during June and September each year. This will ensure the clinic is operational for nine months of the year, instead of the previous seven.

Elaine McLaine, Partner and Head of Commercial Property and Corporate and Commercial, said: 'The Law Clinic provides an invaluable service to the town and we are delighted to be able to contribute to this work.'

The Northern Law Awards 2016 will be held in Newcastle on Thursday 23 June.

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