Every year the Law Clinic provides a group of students with the opportunity to work during the summer holidays. The Law Clinic supports clients throughout the year and it has been extremely rewarding to be able to ensure that clients continue to receive high quality support during the summer period.

(Summer Student and Firm B Coordinator: Carly Morrison)

This year I was given the wonderful opportunity to work for the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic over the summer months. It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of the summer team and so rewarding.

The closing of the University of Strathclyde and subsequent lockdown of the country has provided a very different and surreal experience for the summer students this year. We are working remotely and although, I miss the chatter of the law clinic office and seeing everyone each day, working from home has allowed access to justice to continue.

The majority of my day is spent on casework. The law clinic is open all year round, so when the university closes, the summer student’s caseload increases. This has provided a great opportunity to work on a variety of different legal issues and with advisors I haven’t worked with before, albeit via the wonderful world of technology. I start my day by setting myself a to do list and prioritise my tasks, paying attention to anything particularly urgent or returning calls from clients. Despite the quiet, home office, no day is the same and usually very busy. Zoom has become very normal for us all and we are able to “meet”, help one another and share our ideas (and a coffee). In a weird way I feel as though working in this manner has strengthened the friendships within the team and brought us closer. I am extremely proud of how we have all adapted during a time that could not have been predicted, and how we have continued to provide help for our clients.

I could never thank the law clinic, it’s supervisors and my co-advisors enough for the opportunities and experiences that have been afforded to me. The summer placement has allowed me to improve and hone my skills and I would highly recommend that any students who wish to develop their knowledge apply.

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