Law Students' Outreach Programme Empowers Vulnerable Communities

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Final year Law students recently empowered Durban communities with legal education through an outreach programme co-ordinated by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Law Clinic in partnership with Urban Aid and C.A.S.T’s and Street Law South Africa.

The pilot programme saw the students who are doing Clinical Law or Street Law elective deliver a presentation to the communities of Chesterville and Addington in Durban with the aim of giving the public an in depth understanding of the legal issues they are faced with.

This includes cases ranging from divorce, unlawful evictions, and contractual and estate matters for Durban residents who cannot afford legal assistance. It achieves this through offering legal advice and informing the community of their rights.

The clinic recognises the importance of blending theory and practice in preparing the students for a successful legal career as most of its students are practising as attorneys, advocates or are employed in the legal sector, business sector or in government departments.

In its mission to offer students a well-rounded education, the clinic also has strategic partnership with Legal Aid South Africa which funds a supervising attorney for three years to mentor the clinic’s Candidate Attorneys making it possible for the clinic to increase capacity.

Thandiwe Jumo