The LSE Legal Advice Clinic: Everything you need to know

This article was written by Nazneen Bhatia, a first-year LLB student at the LSE and Communications Officer for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society.

Many aspiring lawyers are aware of ‘cuts to legal aid’, a headline which often features in the media. Yet, many people are unaware of the detrimental implications of these ‘cuts’ and how LSE is taking an active stance to safeguard access to justice. Legal Aid was first established in England and Wales by the Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949, to provide legal assistance to those with ”small or moderate means.” (see here) Following the ratification of the Act, legal aid clinics were opened across the UK and firms opened dedicated legal aid departments. In addition, universities opened legal aid clinics to support those in need and give students practical experience. 

However, in 2013, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) significantly reduced the scope of civil legal aid in England and Wales. This was done by reducing the scope of legal disputes which are covered by legal aid and tightening merit tests to restrict access to justice. For example, legal aid applicants must pass the legal aid ‘means assessment’ which dictates who may qualify for legal aid based on their income. The applicant must have a gross monthly income of £2,657 or less, unless the applicant is seeking protection from domestic abuse or forced marriage. Gross income means before tax, National Insurance, and expenses like living costs (e.g. childcare, groceries, rent etc.) A household earning £2,657 or less is likely to have a very low disposable income making it hard to afford private solicitors who typically charge £100–£250 per hour to access junior lawyers, let alone £300–£800/hr to access senior lawyers. (source) So where 4 in 5 people used to be eligible for legal aid, as of 2020, only 1 in 5 are now eligible for civil legal aid. (source) Additionally, there is no right of appeal against a determination that an individual does not qualify financially for civil legal services, so those deemed ineligible are left without support. (source) LASPO also removes legal aid in cases with ‘borderline’ prospects of success and forces applicants to contribute to legal costs if they do not meet threshold requirements fully. This means many individuals who face difficulty in obtaining the relevant financial evidence to support their applications or do not fully meet threshold requirements are forced to pay a contribution to legal fees, which they cannot afford while also paying living costs. (source) Instead of changing the means testing scheme to align with the cost of current living standards, LASPO limits access to justice by setting high threshold requirements and placing unfair burdens on those seeking legal aid. This has resulted in a 85% reduction in legal aid cases since 2000. (source) LASPO was created to reduce public spending on legal aid, however, this has led to a cut in fees paid to legal professionals, causing a shortage in lawyers available to support legal aid initiatives. This has also made it difficult for lawyers to persuade experts to give evidence in support of their cases. (source) In light of these restrictions, legal aid clinics become invaluable to counteract policy decisions such as LASPO. 

One such clinic is LSE’s own, launched in January 2025 to contribute to the provision of justice to those most in need, offering free and confidential legal advice. Featuring insights from the director of the LSE clinic, Diana Kirsch, in-house employment law expert, Saher Osman and clinic coordinator, Benhia Naemi, this article will explore the mission, role and importance of the clinic and how students can get involved to benefit their own development and give back to the community.  

According to Kirsch, the clinic prioritises student experience, ensuring that students are given the opportunity to gain practical experience alongside their studies. Currently, the clinic mainly covers legal areas that have been significantly impacted by cuts to legal aid such as family, employment and housing. Family law disputes typically focus on divorce, child custody and financial settlement. Employment cases would concern unfair dismissal, mistreatment, breach on contract etc. And finally, housing cases vary but often involve supporting the homeless in gaining access to council housing or support.  However, in conversations with Kirsch, it became clear that the clinic is rapidly expanding and strives to be able to provide increased support across a wider array of legal areas, such as immigration law, and offer more positions for students to get involved. In light of recent policy changes placing increased restrictions on immigration, such as stricter English language rules and tighter visa requirements for foreigners, including students, the clinic is hoping to respond to the immense volume of ‘unmet need’ regarding immigration disputes and expose students to this area of law. (source) Inspired by Dr Marie Petersmann, who leads the Sustainability Law Clinic as part of the Global School of Sustainability (GSoS), the legal advice centre also endeavours to become involved in policy work. The sustainability clinic is currently working towards attributing climate harm to banks and financial institutions to encourage active policy change. Similarly, Kirsch hopes the legal advice centre can soon become involved in policy work, working alongside policymakers and legal experts to shape public protest law, making the LSE clinic distinctive and unique. 

At this point in time, the busiest clinic offered by the legal advice centre is the employment clinic, supported closely by Saher Osman, resident supervising employment lawyer and deputy director of the LSE legal advice centre. Students involved in the employment clinic would have the opportunity to work alongside specialist lawyers like Osman, and work on cases involving wrongful termination, discrimination, misconduct and several other employment disputes. These cases often involve clients who feel as though they have been wronged by their employer, whether this be in the way they were fired, treated or used during their employment. Another popular clinic is the centre’s family law clinic, offering support with child contact and financial arrangements. Although the employment and family clinics are the most well-established clinics, the legal advice centre has rapidly expanded to offer advice in homelessness, public protest, sustainability, domestic abuse and several other legal areas, working alongside law-firms and specialist organisations, such as American law firm, Davis Polk, and domestic abuse charity, Advance, who support the domestic abuse clinic. Advance, providing support to domestic abuse victims, refers clients to the clinic if they are in need of legal support, while Davis Polk provides training to clinic volunteers regarding case management and client interaction, and contributes legal experts who work alongside clinic volunteers to meet with domestic abuse victims and support their cases. Partnerships with external law firms mean that clients of the legal advice centre are attended by expert lawyers and student volunteers are given the opportunity to interact with experienced legal professionals. 

There are several ways in which law students can get involved with the legal advice centre. First-year undergraduates are given the opportunity to become student volunteers, who work closely with Behnia Naemi, the clinic co-ordinator, to conduct triage calls and gather client information. As a student volunteer, you would be the first point of contact for many of the legal advice centre’s clients and play an active role in ensuring they are given the opportunity to acquire legal advice. Prior to starting at the clinic, students are given extensive training in client interaction, data protection and clinic procedures. Moreover, volunteers receive immense support from legal advice centre staff so the induction process is accessible and enjoyable. Second and third year students, as well as postgraduate law students, are able to become student advisors. Student advisors meet with clients and supervising lawyers to conduct fact-finding interviews and drafting advice letters which advise clients on how to proceed with their legal issues and where to seek support. Students work in pairs and are guided by expert lawyers and clinic staff throughout the process. 

As mentioned, the clinic offers valuable practical experience and allows students to witness that ‘law can be a powerful tool for social good’, as expressed by Behnia Naemi. Even for students with corporate focused career goals, the clinic allows students to strengthen their confidence, professionalism, and understanding of real-world legal issues, all while honing transferable skills that recruiters will value. Demonstrating skills from various clinic practices such as letter drafting, legal research, ethical awareness and communication will set you apart from other applicants, regardless of which legal sector you hope to work in. Behnia Naemi also highlighted the importance of a sense of social responsibility which students can acquire through their work at the clinic. At the clinic’s December launch, student volunteers highlighted how their work at the clinic had shaped their education and career aspirations, testifying that prospective employers took a keen interest in the lessons they had learnt while volunteering with the clinics.

In our interview, Diana shared a touching story of success from the housing clinic, offering support to those struggling with homelessness by engaging with local housing councils and charities. Recently, a team of student volunteers and legal professionals were able to find housing for a vulnerable young woman who was displaced and left homeless. Through their tireless efforts, they were able to advocate on behalf of their client and have her placed in private government housing, to ensure her safety. Without the support of clinics, such as those run by the LSE legal advice centre, thousands of people would be left without access to justice or legal protection. 

The LASPO Act has devastated access to legal aid, stripping vital legal protection from those who need it most. Many clinic clients report feeling isolated after being unable to access legal aid elsewhere. Since LASPO focuses not on public welfare but on cutting public spending on legal aid, these individuals, already hopeless and isolated, are further debilitated by strict eligibility thresholds and an unforgiving means assessment. This is why the work of the LSE Legal Aid Centre is essential in supporting those who are disadvantaged by the very system designed to protect them.