by Hannah Stewart
At the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic, we aim to make legal assistance as accessible as possible. We understand that any legal meeting can be hugely daunting, particularly given the areas of law we often work with. We want to make our meeting environment as comfortable as possible and therefore would like to shine a light on what to expect from your first meeting with our student advisors.
What is an initial interview?
An ‘initial interview’ is the first meeting between a client and their student advisors. It will be arranged with the Clinic’s admin team over email or telephone, at a time to best suit your needs and availability.
The goal of an initial interview is for our advisors to gain a full understanding of your legal query. Our advisors cannot provide any legal advice during this meeting.
How long will my interview last?
Initial interviews are given an hour and a half time slot, but they often vary in duration. Please do not feel pressured by having a set time limit – our advisors will do their best to accommodate you to allow you to share your legal issue as fully as possible. A follow up meeting can be arranged if necessary.
Where do I go?
All initial interviews take place in the Law Clinic, at the following address:
Graham Hills Buildings
Room 844
Level 8
40 George Street
Glasgow
G1 1BA
We have some videos on our social media pages that demonstrate how to find the Clinic, here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9RqS1CNbqT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9m6fp2N3cX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==.
What will happen at the initial interview?
Our advisors will greet you in the Law Clinic’s reception and will show you to a meeting room. There are toilets and refreshments available – please do not hesitate to ask your advisors about these.
You will be required to sign some forms regarding the work we do at the Clinic, to ensure we have permission to act on your behalf and store your data. You will have been sent this prior to the initial interview and our advisors will take you through these during the meeting. More information can be found in the email arranging the meeting.
The advisors will then allow you to talk through your case. They will ask some questions to gain a clearer understanding of the issue you are facing, as well as what help you would like from the Law Clinic.
Our initial interviews are designed to be informal and make you feel as at ease as possible – there is no expectation for you to provide detail of the possible legal claims or processes. All we need is your story.
Do I need to bring anything with me?
If you have any documents that you think are relevant to your issue, please bring these into the Clinic for your interview. Our advisors may take scans of these documents. If you are not sure what documents, if any, would be relevant in your circumstances, please do not worry. Any essential documents will be requested from you in future correspondence from your advisors.
What if I forget to share some important information?
We understand that it can be incredibly overwhelming to share details of your issue, and you may feel afterwards that there are things you have forgotten to share. You are welcome to share any further information by emailing the Law Clinic email address. You can also call and leave a message. This information will be passed on to your advisors and taken into account.
What happens next?
Our advisors will work together to draft a ‘statement of facts’ about your case. This is a document that details your issue in chronological order. Once this is complete, you will be sent this document to review and confirm that our advisors have correctly understood your issue.
Following this, our advisors will consult with their supervisor, a legal professional, to explore how the Law Clinic can best help you with your issue. They will provide details of any help we can offer in a letter of advice.
If you are in need of legal advice, please do not hesitate to complete an enquiry on our website, at https://www.lawclinic.org.uk/enquiry-form.