Last week CEPLER was delighted to host this inaugural event: an exploration of best practice in the provision of public legal education to local communities.

Organised by Linden Thomas, CEPLER Director of Pro Bono, the two-day conference welcomed almost fifty delegates from universities, regional law societies and other organisations from across the UK, Europe and the USA to exchange ideas and implementation strategies for successful Streetlaw.

The highly interactive event was divided into three sections: Streetlaw in the Community, Skills and Knowledge, and Implementation and Development, and featured sample sessions, teaching strategies and a fast-paced mock trial demonstration from two leading proponents, who graduated from the home of Streetlaw, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC, where the initiative began over forty years ago. 

Streetlaw at Birmingham Law School was founded by Dr Bharat Malkani in 2008 with the help of three students, and, from humble beginnings, the project has grown significantly. It is now available to a Pro Bono Group of almost 200 student participants and the model has been adapted to provide advice and guidance to community groups and individual service users in a range of settings. 

Find out more about Streetlaw at Birmingham Law School.

For more information about the UK and Ireland Streetlaw network and future events, contact Linden Thomas, Director of Pro Bono and CEPLER Manager: l.thomas@bham.ac.uk