Legal Advice Clinic

Under the supervision of qualified legal professionals, students who volunteer at our Legal Advice Clinic can draw up advice in several areas of law to help clients. The clinic also helps our students to prepare for the future through real-world experiences by enhancing their practical skills and their understanding of client care.

We are here for the local community as well as our students, which is why members of the public can receive free legal advice from our law students. 

Work with real clients

Our Legal Advice Clinic offers students the opportunity to work with real clients. We run free public appointments where you will interview and assess clients before drawing up legal advice – all under the supervision of qualified legal professionals. The clinic will help you to develop transferable skills, enhance your employability, and to see how the law impacts the lives of real people all while networking with industry-active legal professionals. The time you spend in the clinic may also be counted as Qualifying Work Experience (QWE), which can be included towards the two years of QWE you need to qualify as a solicitor via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) route.

Professional guidance and support

You will have on-the-job training and supervision from qualified solicitors and legal professionals. You will also receive ongoing support and instruction in matters such as ethics, office management and case handling. We offer advice in several legal areas of law such as employment, housing, family, business, probate and contract. We also have links with several law firms such as Capital Law, Watkins & Gunn, Howells Solicitors, Gomer Williams and First Line Family Law, who work alongside us to provide free legal advice and support to the clinic.

Making justice accessible

Our Legal Advice Clinic is focused on making justice accessible to members of the public by offering free advice. You can get involved either by volunteering for one of our projects or as part of your studies. Clients often don’t have a clearly identified legal problem when they arrive at the clinic – you will learn to assist them in translating their concerns into legally recognisable categories. You will also learn to provide concise explanations of legal concepts and processes which may be entirely new to them.

If you are seeking legal advice, email us using [email protected] to see if you are eligible for help from USW’s Legal Advice Clinic. Interviews are on an appointment-only basis and take place between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Appointments are available in-person at the Clinic in Treforest or they can take place online via Microsoft Teams.

From the Moot Court Room to the Business Advice Clinic, the South Wales Business School has all the facilities you’ll need to prepare for your future.

Whether you're a legal professional or a firm looking to work with us or a law student looking to volunteer, contact us by calling 01443 668600 or by emailing [email protected].