Lancaster University students to hold free pop-up legal advice clinic in Blackpool

A new pop-up, free, legal advice centre run by Lancaster University Law School is all set to take place at Blackpool Central Library on Thursday, February 15.

Working in partnership with Blackpool Library Services, University law students, under supervision, will deliver the one-day event. They will offer face-to-face appointments and can advise on a range of legal issues, including family law, consumer disputes, small claims, education law, wills and probate and landlord and tenant law.

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Client appointments are conducted by third-year or postgraduate law students, and any follow-up legal advice letters sent to clients are supervised by a qualified solicitor, who is an expert in their field.

Why Blackpool?

“As Blackpool is one of the most deprived areas in the country, we are taking the service to those who otherwise may not be able to access legal advice,” said law Lecturer Zanele Nyoni-Wood, who is managing the Blackpool clinic.

“At a time when legal aid has been cut dramatically, and legal information is not always readily available to the community, Lancaster University Law Clinic continually works to fill the gaps left by legal aid cuts by providing free legal advice to members of the public.

“While the clinic provides an important service to the community, some individuals are still unable to access these services, thus the provision of a community outreach pop-up clinic is necessary to reach a wider demographic and the most vulnerable.”

How you can help back

In addition to providing legal advice, with the help of clients attending the Pop-Up Clinic, the Law School is also running a research project which seeks to identify any specific challenges the community may face in accessing legal services and to better understand how to target unmet legal needs in communities.

Clinic visitors will be asked to complete a short optional and anonymous questionnaire to identify barriers to legal advice and services in the hope the University may be able to introduce other initiatives and activities to help the community.

Other opportunities to get help

Lancaster University Law Clinic will also offer face-to-face, telephone and virtual appointments every Monday from this week until March 25 providing free legal advice across a range of specialisms, including landlord and tenant disputes, small claims, family law, education law and wills. In person appointments are held on the Lancaster campus in the Bowland North law clinic rooms and are open to all.

To make an appointment, you can email [email protected]. Alternatively, you can book an appointment via the website (https://www.lancasterlawclinic.co.uk/).