Justine Miliband has visited law students at the University of Liverpool’s Law Clinic to hear about the legal cases they are working on and their expectations for their future careers.
Mrs Miliband, a barrister specialising in environmental law, was keen to hear first-hand from students how their work at the Clinic has enhanced their skills, engaging them more fully in their studies.
The Liverpool Law Clinic provides free legal advice in a number of areas of law, including family, employment, consumer rights and statelessness, immigration and asylum. Advice is delivered by final year law students working under the supervision of qualified lawyers.
Honoured
Mrs Miliband heard from students who have worked on a range of cases including a family law matter; a housing problem relating to disrepair; a criminal appeal; and immigration problems. She also heard from students helping to analyse more than 20,000 documents to support lawyers representing the families of victims in the Hillsborough disaster.
Mrs Miliband said: “The Liverpool Law Clinic is a fantastic example of how students can benefit from being involved with cases early on in their studies. I really enjoyed talking with the students about their cases and I’m certain their experiences will help them in their future careers.”
First year law student, Bradley Lewis reflected on the experience: “I felt honoured that such an eminent barrister has taken an interest in our work – she showed that she values its importance and relevance.”
Dr Sarah Woodhouse, Director and in-house solicitor at the Liverpool Law Clinic, said: “Our students showed themselves to be passionate about their casework and the benefits of working in the Clinic in boosting their own employability and providing access to justice for some of the most vulnerable members of society.
“They were a credit to themselves and the University and we were delighted to hear Justine say how very impressed she was by them at the end of her visit.”