Legal Aid Clinic | The National Law Institute University Bhopal

Legal Aid Clinic

VISION

“Clinical legal education plays an important role in socializing the next generation of lawyers, judges, and public policymakers. As gatekeepers to the profession, law schools have a unique opportunity and obligation to make access to justice a more central social priority.”-Deborah L. Rhode

It is a common belief that the primary obligation to provide legal aid to the weaker classes resides with the government and legal professionals. Contrary to this prevalent notion, the students at NLIU decided to contribute to the solution of the crisis in access to justice by running a Legal Aid Clinic.

NLIU-Legal Aid Clinic (“NLIU-LAC” or “the Clinic”) established under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority, on 11th April 2018, is a student-run initiative aimed at providing legal assistance to socially and economically backward and marginalised sections of society who have difficulty accessing the judicial system. NLIU-LAC is supervised by the University’s Faculty-in-charge, who seeks to help the students to achieve their academic, professional and social goals.

NLIU-LAC is driven by the ethos of Article 39A of the Constitution of India and strongly believes that law is pro bono public i.e. for the public good. However, it is not restricted in its scope by merely providing pro bono litigation. It also strongly believes in educating people about their legal rights and thereby endeavours to undertake legal literacy initiatives, spread social awareness, promote alternative dispute resolution, conduct prison reformation activities and other related activities. This is done by means of various social media and real life campaigns and events and is aimed towards creating a more legally conscious India.

Our major projects include Project Saarthi (Pro Bono legal advice, representation, mediation and mental health counselling services initiative), Aapke Adhikaar (Legal literacy initiative for common people), Project Bail (Initiative for underprivileged and undertrial prisoners), Project Pukaar (Detailed information on social-legal issues which are often not discussed) and Project Neev (Initiative to promote establishment and development of Legal Aid Clinics with exchange of information and resources). Our ancillary activities include Lok Adalat visits, participation and organisation of various capacity-building programmes, organisation of legal literacy development initiatives for the student community, legal awareness and data collection drives, Nukkad Nataks, etc.

In undertaking these initiatives, the clinic provides a platform for the students to engage in serving their community by promoting legal awareness, increasing the accessibility to the justice system through various programs and attaining certain standards of legal education.

EMPANELLED ADVOCATES