Major expansion as Strathclyde Law Clinic takes on asylum role

The award-winning University of Strathclyde Law Clinic is set for a major expansion of its activities, following the securing of additional funding.

Collaboration with the Refugee Survival Trust will enable the student-run clinic to employ a part-time supervisor to oversee assistance to asylum seekers. In addition, £175,000 raised through the Campaign for Strathclyde will allow the clinic to employ additional supervisors, and increase its membership from 180 to 300 students over the next three years.

At present many students have to be turned away from membership of the clinic, but the additional resources will greatly reduce this excess, while almost doubling the number of clients the clinic can assist.

In its 12 years the law clinic has provided free legal advice and assistance to almost 1,400 clients, winning or saving them a total of £576,107.28. At the same time, it has engaged in public legal education and law reform, facilitated the provision of advice by solicitors to another 510 clients, and investigated miscarriages of justice. The new expansion will make it one of the largest, if not the largest, clinics in the UK, and by far the largest in Scotland.

Professor Donald Nicolson, founding director of the clinic, commented: “I have always wanted us to provide legal assistance to asylum seekers, so the link up with the Refugee Survival Trust is a dream come true. However, expansion through such a major investment in the clinic is beyond any of my wildest dreams. We are ready for the challenge. I have no doubt we will go from strength to strength in the next few years.”

Head of the Law School, Professor Bryan Clark added: “I am absolutely delighted to see this expansion of the law clinic. This increase in capacity means that we will be able to make an even greater contribution to the large unmet legal need in the Greater Glasgow area, while providing unrivalled experiential learning opportunities for Strathclyde students of law.”