Students to offer free legal advice service to the public

The Legal Advice Centre will be staffed by university law students, who can offer guidance to the public on a range of issues including welfare and benefits, housing, debt advice and consumer rights.

The running of the centre will be overseen by Frank Dignan of the university's law school, which was established in 1927 and is the oldest department at the university.

Mr Dignan said: "The centre will offer students the chance to get hands-on legal experience, and will strengthen our links with the local community.

"This is the first time the university has offered such a service and after months of preparation we are all looking forward to the clinic opening its doors and welcoming our first clients."

The centre, based in the Wilberforce Building on the Cottingham Road campus, will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, and will hold drop-in sessions every Wednesday in term time from 1pm to 5pm.

Hull MP Alan Johnson, who unveiled a plaque at the site last week, said: "Law is a great profession for students to be going into, as there will always be people in our communities who will need their help.

"To give people the opportunity to go along and access free legal advice is a great asset for the university and the city of Hull."

Initially the service will be a voluntary module for current law students, but will eventually become an assessed element of the law school's programme. Twenty-four students will

form the first panel, working in groups to deal with clients' problems.

Mr Dignan added: "The centre has already been very popular with students keen to get as much real-life experience of the legal profession as possible, and we envisage many more students will sign up when it becomes as assessed part of law courses in the future."

The facility will be run in partnership with organisations including the Hull Community Legal Advice Centre, Citizens' Advice Bureau, Hull and East Riding councils, and legal firms Hamers and Stamp Jackson Proctor, where it is hoped students may be offered work placements and other training opportunities.