Legal Clinic – Free Primary Legal Aid Centre was established in 2021, as part of the EU-funded project Praxis Iuris: Free Primary Legal Aid and Professional Practice at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka. Participation in this Legal Clinic involves regular direct contact with clients, research and provision of relevant legal information and advice. Under the supervision of the professional mentors, students of the Legal Clinic offer general legal information, legal advice, and other forms of legal assistance as determined by the Free Legal Aid Act. By applying legal concepts and laws to real-life situations, our students further their independence and responsibility. This process enables the students to enhance their practical skills and competencies, preparing them for success in the labor market. Additional benefits of such work-based learning manifest in connecting students with employers, thereby increasing their employability.
There is a broader societal benefit to the Legal Clinic given that free primary legal aid becomes more readily accessible to the socially and economically most vulnerable categories of citizens who are otherwise less likely to effectively exercise their rights. Aiming at inclusiveness in accessing justice, our students periodically visit smaller communities in less inhabited areas to provide legal aid. Widening its community outreach, the Legal Clinic has established cooperation with several civil society organizations such as SOS Rijeka – Center for Nonviolence and Human Rights, Franciscan Secular Order – Local Fraternity Trsat, Shelter for the Homeless “Roses of St. Francis”, Depaul Croatia Association and Pazinština Pensioners’ Association.
In addition to providing legal aid, the Legal Clinic is engaging in other activities closely related to its core purpose, such as research projects, raising public awareness through informational material or educational events, participation in workshops, panel discussions and roundtables.
The immediate community and educational effects of the Legal Clinic in the period from 2021 to 2024 is demonstrated by more than 300 cases which have been handled by somewhat over 150 students.