Find a legal advice clinic near you

by Non Deficere Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:06 am

https://www.lawworks.org.uk/legal-advice-individuals/find-legal-advice-clinic-near-you

Law Clinic celebrates successful cases

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/law/news/2017/law-clinic-november-successful-cases.html

Group of student legal volunteers overturn 95% of DWP 'fit to work' decisions they take on

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/legal-advice-centre-helps-95-of-people-declared-fit-to-work-by-dwp-get-decision-overturned-10482768.html

Legal aid: students give 'desperate' clients free advice Empty Legal aid: students give 'desperate' clients free advice

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48531149

A free advice clinic provided by law students has a six-month waiting list because people on low incomes struggle to get a solicitor, its director says.

by Brutus Tue Jun 18, 2019 4:01 am

Cutting legal aids has been one of the more nefarious and subtle ways of oppressing the less fortunate in society.
Making it difficult or impossible to have redress against the abuses of the system is all about impressing on the masses that they are the weak side of society and that bearing injustice is part of their lot.
There is actually little financial value in limiting recourse to the law (a much more efficient way is to pass iniquitous laws in the first place...), but it provides a tremendous given sense of legal self-worth, that differentiates at a glance who is "in" and who is "out" in society.

by Guest Tue Jun 18, 2019 9:09 am

Sorry, but I have been a few times to one of these free legal clinics here in Birmingham, and quite frankly they're rubbish. They didn't even understand what my issue was and eventually they told me to go to the CAB, as if I hadn't tried that first!

by Caker Tue Jun 18, 2019 1:02 pm

The CAB is not much better. I went there with a legal problem (years ago) and the person could not have been less helpful. S/he did not listen to what I had to say and told me that I had not got a valid legal case.

I took great pleasure (after the case was finished) in telling this person that I had won my legal case single handedly. I did not get a reply, not even 'congratulations' / 'sorry I gave you wrong advice'. Rolling Eyes

by Brutus Wed Jun 19, 2019 11:37 pm

Hence the importnce of Forums like this.
Self-help is always a step ahead of depending on an external agency, regardless of how meritorious they are.
As for the CABs I heard similar stories as the one Caker relates.
Unfortunately, both the quality and the utility of this otherwise hollowed institution has degenerated after years of underfunding and increased demand.

by Caker Thu Jun 20, 2019 6:51 am

The CAB person I saw was meant to be a solicitor, and claimed to have access to advice from barristers for back-up.

Perhaps someone less tenacious than me would have dropped the case and been worse off, for that advice.

by Guest Thu Jun 20, 2019 8:27 am

Brutus wrote:

Unfortunately, both the quality and the utility of this otherwise hollowed institution has degenerated after years of underfunding and increased demand.

Underfunded? Not really. They waste more money now than ever. Just the people who work there now are selfish bureaucrats with none of the ethics of those who worked there 20-30 years ago.

by Caker Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:56 am

underfunded?

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/national/16952340.mcvey-hands-39m-to-citizens-advice-to-help-universal-credit-claimants/

by Brutus Thu Jul 11, 2019 5:13 am

Historically the service has been losing funds, especially considering the disproportionate increase in the demand it has to front.
However, there is much truth in complaining that " the people who work there now are selfish bureaucrats with none of the ethics of those who worked there 20-30 years ago". This is in line, perhaps, with the "bureaucratisation" of our entire society.
A trend that is present globally but most apparent in post-industrial societies.
My take on this is that it is a consequence of wealth inequality, as elites become more established and powerful they exert more influence and patronage. This results, for historical reason, in the proliferation of inefficient managerial positions; jobs created to provide an income to protégé.
In turn, this inefficiency has created a culture of over-caution and stupidity one that really requires "three people to change a light bulb", a culture that is by its nature conservative and necessarily cruel to the victims of this engineered inaptness.
At the end, when the system stumbles if one cannot blame the head it has to blame the feet.

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