Centre for Clinical Legal Education (Palacký University, Faculty of Law)
Encyclopedia
The Centre for Clinical Legal Education is an institute of Palacký University Faculty of Law, which focuses on practical ways of teaching prospective lawyers. While most of the syllabus in the Faculty's five year Master program
of Law and Jurisprudence comprises the Law in Books (taught at the University since 1679), the Centre focuses on Law in Action.
In 1996 Palacký University Faculty of Law was the first law school in Central Europe
to introduce legal clinic
s and today it is still the only law faculty in the Czech Republic that provides its students with a wide ranging clinic-based education. The clinics were swiftly expanded and improved, especially after 2006, thanks to a project for the advancement of practical education, which received financial support from both the Czech national budget and the European Social Fund
. At the same time the newly-established Centre for Clinical Legal Education took responsibility for running clinics.
Today the Centre provides methodical aids for innovation in current school subjects as well as for the implementation of new school subjects in the taught Master's degree
in Law, while it also runs the clinics.
In addition to the clinics listed below, Law Faculty students may also undertake a one month internship at one of the Czech courts. A participating student is awarded 3 ECTS-credits, subject to confirmation by a presiding judge.
legal support and advice to socially, economically or otherwise disadvantaged individuals. The clinic is divided into sections (Civil Law, Family Law, Labour Law, etc.) with no more than ten students in each. Each section has a guarantor, who is the Faculty's lecturer specializing in the appropriate field. During office hours the students interview new clients seeking legal help from the Clinic in greater detail and, on the basis of the interview, prepare a document file. The document file is then given to the section's guarantor: the guarantor assigns it to particular students of his section (usually not the same ones who first interviewed the client) to solve the legal issues and propose further steps (e.g. legal remedies, drafting of a contract, and so on). If the need arises, the assigned students may contact the client for further information or documents. Subject to guarantor's authorization of the legal advice, the client is invited for another meeting, in which the assigned students hand him over the legal advice in writing and orally explain its content.
Students must learn how to manage the paperwork concerning the clients and cases. Prior to starting at the Aid Office, the students undergo two one-day workshops, the first aimed at work organisation and the second aimed at practical legal skills. Successful participation in the Student Legal Aid Office is rewarded by 6 ECTS-credits (in one semester).
The clinic takes one semester and is run every semester, but students can participate only once (because there are too many students chasing too few cases).
Clients are obliged to consent that the University takes no liability; students are forbidden to give legal advice at the first meeting, and a guarantor's authorization is obligatory before giving any advice (which usually takes a couple of weeks, except in urgent cases).
Matters concerning criminal law are excluded from the legal aid office.
The laws of the Czech Republic don't allow the law students to represent the clients in front of the courts.
Address of the office: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=cs&geocode=&q=Pr%C3%A1vnick%C3%A1+fakulta+Univerzity+Palack%C3%A9ho+v+Olomouci,+T%C5%99%C3%ADda+17.+listopadu+8,+Olomouc&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.014453,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=Pr%C3%A1vnick%C3%A1+fakulta+Univerzity+Palack%C3%A9ho&hnear=17.+listopadu+930%2F8,+779+00+Olomouc,+%C4%8Cesk%C3%A1+republika&z=16&iwloc=BPrávnická fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, Třída 17. listopadu 8, Olomouc, building A]
Of particular importance to running hybrid clinics is the cooperation with NGO
s, since the Faculty's legal aid office would not be able to supply sufficient variety of cases in the specific legal areas. Also the Faculty's professors may lack the necessary practical experience in the areas. Last but not least in the case of Refugee Law Clinic the students provide legal aid as aids of NGO's lawyers within refugee camps, which would be otherwise inaccessible to them.
. Depending on students' interests the clinic deals with issues of freedom of assembly
, freedom of speech
, domestic violence
and so on. The Clinic takes one semester and has capacity for ten students; the clinic is awarded by 6 ECTS-credits.
The clinic is organized into an interactive theoretical part, in which the students learn necessary information, and a practical part, in which the students solve real issues, interact with a client and learn jurist
ic skills.
The Liga lidských práv (Human Rights League) NGO
and the Ombudsman's office co-author the clinic.
lap over a number of legal areas. The clinic aims at providing complex familiarization of students with issues connected to the field. The students initially strengthen their theoretical knowledge, while later they work with concrete cases of discriminatory actions. The clinic is co-authored by the Liga lidských práv (Human Rights League) NGO
.
Legal Clinic aims at the medical laws (and connected legal areas, such as damages) of the Czech Republic from the point of view of the patients. The clinic is co-authored by lecturers of the Medical Faculty and by the lawyers of the Liga lidských práv (Human Rights League) NGO
. The theoretical part consists of six four-hours intensive seminars, which include solving case studies, guided discussions with experts and independent student work in order to prepare them for the practical part of giving legal advices.
Law Clinic aims at providing help to the clients of the Student Legal Aid Office. There was formerly social security branch of the Student Legal Aid Office, however the versatility and especially frequent updating of the social security laws required thorough theoretical update of students' knowledge. So despite the fact that the area is more or less fully covered in the Faculty's theoretical subjects, the Social Security branch of the Legal Aid office is now run as a hybrid clinic. Cooperation with regional administrative court is also part of the clinic: students have full access to case files on judicial review of acts of administration in the field of social security; the students write opinions regarding the adjudicated cases.
Clinic thoroughly tutors contemporary issues of consumer protection in the Czech Republic. This is followed by simulations of consumer contracts disputes. In the end the students provide help to the clients of the Student Legal Aid Office and to clients of the Sdružení obrany spotřebitelů ČR (Consumers' defence association) NGO, which also co-authors the clinic.
, the Ombudsman's office, the Czech Government Office, and other organisations. The students learn law concerning areas of foreigners' residency in the Czech republic
, asylum law, the procedure of awarding international protection, psychological aspects of the procedure, laws concerning European protection of refugees, integration of foreigners and refugees, as well as expulsion of foreigners and other related areas.
The practical part is conducted in coordination with Sdružení občanů zabývajích se emigranty (Association of citizens concerned with emigrants) NGO
. Students undergo excursions and work experience in Czech refugee camp
s (for example in Vyšní Lhoty
), take part in the process of giving legal advice, counsel clients and solve real cases. As well as searching for information concerning a country of origin, they prepare the forms for refugee protection and legal remedies for unfavourable decisions. The students also have the chance to represent the faculty at Moot court
s related to the field.
s and e-government. Education is both theoretical and practical, conducted by faculty lecturers and outside experts. The clinic has capacity of 10 students, is awarded by 4 ECTS-credits and runs only in summer semester.
. Lectures make up a comprehensive mix of theoretical and practical education. Students solve real cases, interact with clients, learn juristic skills, take part in excursions, and debate about current problems in public services. The students take part in administrative moot courts as well as work on real cases and learn from inside how non-governmental organization
s work.
One part of the clinic consists of work on different projects, which the students agree upon at the beginning of the semester. The practical part is conducted in cooperation with Hnutí DUHA Olomouc (Olomouc Rainbow Movement) NGO
. The clinic has capacity of 12 students and is awarded by 5 ECTS-credits per semester, while it runs two semesters.
deepen their theoretical knowledge by application of the legal acts on concrete cases and case studies. The practical part is conducted in cooperation with Hnutí DUHA Olomouc (Olomouc Rainbow Movement) NGO
.
. The team also takes part in number of pre-moots, and each year since 2008 the Faculty has made its own pre-moot in Olomouc, using its own courtroom. Students who take part in the Moot Court gain 4 ECTS-credits per semester.
clinic Law for Every Day aims at dissemination of legal knowledge to the non-specialist population. The theoretical part is divided into the knowledge segment and skills segment. The knowledge segment aims at fostering knowledge obtained at Faculty's theoretical lectures in order to comprehend mutual coherency of areas of law taught separately. The skills segment aims at improvement of presentation and communication skills. The law students learn how to translate complicated legal issues so that a non-specialist would clearly understand it. The practical part is conducted as teaching packet at selected high schools. There the law students teach the high school students how to effectively deal with everyday issues of legal nature. Apart from social dimension the main target is to teach the law students the basics of presentation and argumentation in order to effectively communicate expert knowledge.
The Juristic Skills Workshop was introduced in the academic year 2007/08. It is compulsory for 2nd year students of the 5-year-long Law degree. The workshop takes two semesters. Its aim is to boost students' practical skills and so to prepare students to apply the law. It is therefore complementary to the other subjects of procedural law
and substantive law
. Subject to successfully passing the Workshop, students gain 3 ECTS-credits per each semester.
The course aims foremost in the fields of:
of lawyers, judges, public prosecutors, and so on), Human Rights Laboratory (aiming at International human rights protection
), or Civil Law Moot Court
. These remain mostly theoretical with practical part focusing on simulations.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
of Law and Jurisprudence comprises the Law in Books (taught at the University since 1679), the Centre focuses on Law in Action.
In 1996 Palacký University Faculty of Law was the first law school in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
to introduce legal clinic
Legal clinic
The phrase legal clinic may refer to any private, nonprofit law practice serving the public interest. In the academic context, these law school clinics provide hands-on experience to law school students and services to various clients. Academic Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors...
s and today it is still the only law faculty in the Czech Republic that provides its students with a wide ranging clinic-based education. The clinics were swiftly expanded and improved, especially after 2006, thanks to a project for the advancement of practical education, which received financial support from both the Czech national budget and the European Social Fund
European Social Fund
The European Social Fund is the European Union’s main financial instrument for supporting employment in the Member States as well as promoting economic and social cohesion. ESF spending amounts to around 10% of the EU’s total budget....
. At the same time the newly-established Centre for Clinical Legal Education took responsibility for running clinics.
Today the Centre provides methodical aids for innovation in current school subjects as well as for the implementation of new school subjects in the taught Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Law, while it also runs the clinics.
Clinics
As of 2011 there are over 15 clinical subjects at Olomouc Faculty of Law. The Student Legal Aid Office is a live-client clinic, and the other clinics are hybrid clinics combining both theoretical lectures and practical legal experience. Participation in the two semesters long Juristic Skills Workshop is compulsory for 2nd year students of the 5-year-long Law degree; the other clinics are optional.In addition to the clinics listed below, Law Faculty students may also undertake a one month internship at one of the Czech courts. A participating student is awarded 3 ECTS-credits, subject to confirmation by a presiding judge.
Student Legal Aid Office
The Student Legal Aid Office provides pro bonoPro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
legal support and advice to socially, economically or otherwise disadvantaged individuals. The clinic is divided into sections (Civil Law, Family Law, Labour Law, etc.) with no more than ten students in each. Each section has a guarantor, who is the Faculty's lecturer specializing in the appropriate field. During office hours the students interview new clients seeking legal help from the Clinic in greater detail and, on the basis of the interview, prepare a document file. The document file is then given to the section's guarantor: the guarantor assigns it to particular students of his section (usually not the same ones who first interviewed the client) to solve the legal issues and propose further steps (e.g. legal remedies, drafting of a contract, and so on). If the need arises, the assigned students may contact the client for further information or documents. Subject to guarantor's authorization of the legal advice, the client is invited for another meeting, in which the assigned students hand him over the legal advice in writing and orally explain its content.
Students must learn how to manage the paperwork concerning the clients and cases. Prior to starting at the Aid Office, the students undergo two one-day workshops, the first aimed at work organisation and the second aimed at practical legal skills. Successful participation in the Student Legal Aid Office is rewarded by 6 ECTS-credits (in one semester).
The clinic takes one semester and is run every semester, but students can participate only once (because there are too many students chasing too few cases).
Clients are obliged to consent that the University takes no liability; students are forbidden to give legal advice at the first meeting, and a guarantor's authorization is obligatory before giving any advice (which usually takes a couple of weeks, except in urgent cases).
Matters concerning criminal law are excluded from the legal aid office.
The laws of the Czech Republic don't allow the law students to represent the clients in front of the courts.
Address of the office: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=cs&geocode=&q=Pr%C3%A1vnick%C3%A1+fakulta+Univerzity+Palack%C3%A9ho+v+Olomouci,+T%C5%99%C3%ADda+17.+listopadu+8,+Olomouc&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.014453,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=Pr%C3%A1vnick%C3%A1+fakulta+Univerzity+Palack%C3%A9ho&hnear=17.+listopadu+930%2F8,+779+00+Olomouc,+%C4%8Cesk%C3%A1+republika&z=16&iwloc=BPrávnická fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, Třída 17. listopadu 8, Olomouc, building A]
Hybrid clinics
Thy hybrid clinics combine theoretical lectures (especially in areas which are not taught with sufficient detail in the theoretical subjects), followed by simulations in order to strengthen the knowledge and are crowned by providing legal aid to real clients.Of particular importance to running hybrid clinics is the cooperation with NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s, since the Faculty's legal aid office would not be able to supply sufficient variety of cases in the specific legal areas. Also the Faculty's professors may lack the necessary practical experience in the areas. Last but not least in the case of Refugee Law Clinic the students provide legal aid as aids of NGO's lawyers within refugee camps, which would be otherwise inaccessible to them.
Human Rights Clinic
The Human Rights Clinic focuses on up-to-date issues of Human Rights Protection in the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. Depending on students' interests the clinic deals with issues of freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests...
, freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and so on. The Clinic takes one semester and has capacity for ten students; the clinic is awarded by 6 ECTS-credits.
The clinic is organized into an interactive theoretical part, in which the students learn necessary information, and a practical part, in which the students solve real issues, interact with a client and learn jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
ic skills.
The Liga lidských práv (Human Rights League) NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
and the Ombudsman's office co-author the clinic.
Antidiscrimination Law Clinic
The antidiscrimination lawsAnti-discrimination law
Anti-discrimination law refers to the law on people's right to be treated equally. Some countries mandate that in employment, in consumer transactions and in political participation people may be dealt with on an equal basis regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality and sometimes...
lap over a number of legal areas. The clinic aims at providing complex familiarization of students with issues connected to the field. The students initially strengthen their theoretical knowledge, while later they work with concrete cases of discriminatory actions. The clinic is co-authored by the Liga lidských práv (Human Rights League) NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
.
Patient's Rights Legal Clinic
The Patient's RightsPatient empowerment
The patient empowerment concept, a recent outgrowth of the natural health movement, asserts that to be truly healthy, people must bring about changes in their social situations and in the environment that influences their lives, not only in their personal behavior.According to advocates of the...
Legal Clinic aims at the medical laws (and connected legal areas, such as damages) of the Czech Republic from the point of view of the patients. The clinic is co-authored by lecturers of the Medical Faculty and by the lawyers of the Liga lidských práv (Human Rights League) NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. The theoretical part consists of six four-hours intensive seminars, which include solving case studies, guided discussions with experts and independent student work in order to prepare them for the practical part of giving legal advices.
Social Security Law Clinic
The Social securitySocial security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
Law Clinic aims at providing help to the clients of the Student Legal Aid Office. There was formerly social security branch of the Student Legal Aid Office, however the versatility and especially frequent updating of the social security laws required thorough theoretical update of students' knowledge. So despite the fact that the area is more or less fully covered in the Faculty's theoretical subjects, the Social Security branch of the Legal Aid office is now run as a hybrid clinic. Cooperation with regional administrative court is also part of the clinic: students have full access to case files on judicial review of acts of administration in the field of social security; the students write opinions regarding the adjudicated cases.
Consumers' Rights Clinic
The theoretical part of the Consumers' RightsConsumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
Clinic thoroughly tutors contemporary issues of consumer protection in the Czech Republic. This is followed by simulations of consumer contracts disputes. In the end the students provide help to the clients of the Student Legal Aid Office and to clients of the Sdružení obrany spotřebitelů ČR (Consumers' defence association) NGO, which also co-authors the clinic.
Refugee Law Clinic
The Refugee Law Clinic takes two semesters (with 5 ECTS-credits for each) and has capacity for ten students. The clinic has two parts. The theoretical part is given by expert lecturers from the UNHCRUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
, the Ombudsman's office, the Czech Government Office, and other organisations. The students learn law concerning areas of foreigners' residency in the Czech republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, asylum law, the procedure of awarding international protection, psychological aspects of the procedure, laws concerning European protection of refugees, integration of foreigners and refugees, as well as expulsion of foreigners and other related areas.
The practical part is conducted in coordination with Sdružení občanů zabývajích se emigranty (Association of citizens concerned with emigrants) NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. Students undergo excursions and work experience in Czech refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s (for example in Vyšní Lhoty
Vyšní Lhoty
Vyšní Lhoty is a village in the Frýdek-Místek District, Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 757 . It lies on the Morávka River, in the historical region of Těšín Silesia and was first mentioned in a written document in 1305.The village is situated on the foothills...
), take part in the process of giving legal advice, counsel clients and solve real cases. As well as searching for information concerning a country of origin, they prepare the forms for refugee protection and legal remedies for unfavourable decisions. The students also have the chance to represent the faculty at Moot court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
s related to the field.
Legal Clinic: Electronic Communications Law
The aim of the Electronic Communications Legal Clinic is to follow up a theoretical subject The Law and Information Technology by working with literature, cases from abroad, etc. The clinic focuses on topics like E-business, domain nameDomain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
s and e-government. Education is both theoretical and practical, conducted by faculty lecturers and outside experts. The clinic has capacity of 10 students, is awarded by 4 ECTS-credits and runs only in summer semester.
Small Business and NGO Legal Clinic
The Small Business and NGO Legal Clinic focuses on issues connected to the two fields. The students learn to differentiate between varieties of corporate entities and also which form may be suitable for a specific purpose. They learn how to write the basic documents of a corporate entity that are necessary to establish and run it. The clinic also focuses on issues of taxation and finance. Debates with representatives of different corporate entities are also part of the course. The clinic has capacity of 10 students, is awarded by 4 ECTS-credits and runs only in summer semester.Administrative Law Clinic
The Administrative Law Clinic familiarizes students with the practical operation of public servicesPublic administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
. Lectures make up a comprehensive mix of theoretical and practical education. Students solve real cases, interact with clients, learn juristic skills, take part in excursions, and debate about current problems in public services. The students take part in administrative moot courts as well as work on real cases and learn from inside how non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s work.
One part of the clinic consists of work on different projects, which the students agree upon at the beginning of the semester. The practical part is conducted in cooperation with Hnutí DUHA Olomouc (Olomouc Rainbow Movement) NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. The clinic has capacity of 12 students and is awarded by 5 ECTS-credits per semester, while it runs two semesters.
Environmental Law Clinic
The Faculty's students who want to specialize in the field of environmental protectionEnvironmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
deepen their theoretical knowledge by application of the legal acts on concrete cases and case studies. The practical part is conducted in cooperation with Hnutí DUHA Olomouc (Olomouc Rainbow Movement) NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
.
International Arbitration Clinic
The International Arbitration Clinic is a special clinic run by the centre, which prepares the Olomouc Vis Moot Team for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration MootWillem C. Vis Moot
The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot is a prestigious international moot court competition for law students. Since 1994, it is annually being held in Vienna, Austria....
. The team also takes part in number of pre-moots, and each year since 2008 the Faculty has made its own pre-moot in Olomouc, using its own courtroom. Students who take part in the Moot Court gain 4 ECTS-credits per semester.
Street law
Street lawStreet law
Street Law is an approach to teaching practical law to grassroots audiences using interactive teaching methodologies. Elements of practical law taught include awareness of human rights, democracy, consumer rights, and civil rights....
clinic Law for Every Day aims at dissemination of legal knowledge to the non-specialist population. The theoretical part is divided into the knowledge segment and skills segment. The knowledge segment aims at fostering knowledge obtained at Faculty's theoretical lectures in order to comprehend mutual coherency of areas of law taught separately. The skills segment aims at improvement of presentation and communication skills. The law students learn how to translate complicated legal issues so that a non-specialist would clearly understand it. The practical part is conducted as teaching packet at selected high schools. There the law students teach the high school students how to effectively deal with everyday issues of legal nature. Apart from social dimension the main target is to teach the law students the basics of presentation and argumentation in order to effectively communicate expert knowledge.
Juristic Skills Workshop
The Juristic Skills Workshop is not a clinic within narrow meaning of the term, however since it aims at practical skills, it is included as a program of the Centre and not as one of the theoretical legal subjects.The Juristic Skills Workshop was introduced in the academic year 2007/08. It is compulsory for 2nd year students of the 5-year-long Law degree. The workshop takes two semesters. Its aim is to boost students' practical skills and so to prepare students to apply the law. It is therefore complementary to the other subjects of procedural law
Procedural law
Procedural law or adjective law comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings. The rules are designed to ensure a fair and consistent application of due process or fundamental justice to all cases that come before...
and substantive law
Substantive law
Substantive law is the statutory or written law that defines rights and duties, such as crimes and punishments , civil rights and responsibilities in civil law. It is codified in legislated statutes or can be enacted through the initiative process.Substantive law stands in contrast to procedural...
. Subject to successfully passing the Workshop, students gain 3 ECTS-credits per each semester.
The course aims foremost in the fields of:
- professional ethics and liability
- legal information
- general presentation skills
- writing legal texts
- case analysis
- general communication skills
- legal advice
- negotiation
- client interviews
- Moot courtMoot courtA moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
Other clinical programs
There are other clinical programs, such as the Professional Ethics (which deals with ethicsProfessional ethics
Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behaviour expected of professionals.- Professional ethics :Professional people and those working in acknowledged professions exercise specialist knowledge and skill...
of lawyers, judges, public prosecutors, and so on), Human Rights Laboratory (aiming at International human rights protection
International human rights law
International human rights law refers to the body of international law designed to promote and protect human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels...
), or Civil Law Moot Court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
. These remain mostly theoretical with practical part focusing on simulations.