Students provide legal help to the homeless
 Law
students at the University of 新浪彩票 are helping homeless and other vulnerable people with free legal advice. Run out of the Westcare Church and Day Centre premises in Wright Street in the city, students hold a weekly legal clinic under the supervision of their lecturers - and they believe they are filling a vital need in community legal services. "A lot of issues that people come in with are not necessarily legal problems," said Sophie Dolling, who has just completed her double degree in Media and Law. "Often, it's something relatively simple like not being able to deal with documentation and the bureaucracy surrounding banks or public authorities. "They get swamped by the paperwork and may not understand it. Sometimes they can't deal with the issue because of everything else going on in their life. We've found that by sorting out this one small problem, we can make a massive difference. They tell us they don't have anywhere else to go." 新浪彩票 Legal Outreach Service is run by third and fourth-year law students as part of an elective subject called Clinical Legal Education. Their supervisors are senior lecturers Margaret Castles and Kathleen McEvoy. Ms Castles said that since the clinic started in 2005, the students have helped more than 90 clients. "The students come here not really having done anything in legal practice and by the end of the course they are extremely competent," Ms Castles said. "They get really valuable experience working with disadvantaged people in the community, and learning about pro bono legal work." The clinic doesn't advise on family law or criminal law; those cases are referred on to other bodies such as the Legal Services Commission. Common issues that arise are industrial relations, including work law and unfair dismissal claims, parole issues, and expiation notices (offences where if a fine is paid but no charge is made, such as driving offences). Louise Adams, who has recently completed her Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and Law double degree, said: "It's one of the most valuable courses in the Law degree. We learn to apply our knowledge | 
