Sussex Clinical Legal Education (SCLE) is the umbrella organisation within Sussex Law School providing links to a variety of pro-bono (not for profit) legal projects. The aim of these projects is to provide much needed assistance within the community, as well as providing students with vital experience of law in practice.

As of 2020/21, SCLE includes seven clinics and projects:

1. A collaboration with Citizens Advice in West Sussex.
2. The Criminal Justice Law Clinic.
3. The Employment Law Clinic.
4. The Environmental Justice Law Clinic.
5. The Family Law Clinic.
6. The Housing and Welfare Law Clinic.
7. The Migration Law Clinic.

Each project has its unique characteristics: in one, students are out in the community; in another, they are in the courts, assisting litigants in person; a third model finds students supporting crucial work done by charities in the region; and in yet another – students, supervised by solicitors, provide free legal advice to members of the community.

SCLE enables Sussex Law School, and Sussex University, to extend and strengthen its ties to the profession and to members of the community in a persuasive fashion. Our students have their ear to the ground, and their arms stretched out.

In this blog, we share the work, observations and reflections of the students who take part in the clinical work, who meet with clients and engage with practitioners for the first time. Many students have found this to be the most important experience of their academic studies.

If you are a student who wishes to learn more about SCLE, a client who would like to receive legal advice, or a practitioner who can offer support, please find the relevant contact information on our webpage: www.sussex.ac.uk/law/clinical-legal-education