American dream for law students

LAW students at MMU are getting the opportunity to work on real cases in a new Pro Bono clinic.

And their experience could even take them to the United States to work on the cases of prisoners on Death Row.

MMU has teamed up with three Pro Bono partners – Partners of Prisoners and Families Support group (PoPs), Amicus, and Elkan Abrahamson – to offer students invaluable hands-on experience in the judicial process.

UK charity Amicus, led by Michael Mansfield QC, helps provide legal support to American prisoners awaiting trial for capital crimes. The charity's regional coordinator Matthew Carey, who is studying to be a barrister at MMU, says the scheme will allow students to apply for internships to the United States to work at some of the best known death penalty offices, including the Texas Defender Service.

Two Death Row exonerees, Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle, both of whom were helped by Amicus, spoke at the launch of the Pro Bono Clinic at the School of Law on November 8.

Advice work

The second partner, Manchester-based charity PoPs supports over 13,000 families a year and offers students practical advice work on legal options for people referred to PoPs, on issues such as welfare benefits, housing, family insolvency, debt and consumer law.

The third scheme provides Bar Vocational Course students with the opportunity to shadow Elkan Abrahamson, of AS Law Liverpool, a leading authority in prison law in judicial review cases.

Head of MMU Law School, Miceal Barden, said: "These groups do enormously good work with prisoners and their families and we are delighted to be working with them, and offering real and valuable legal advice.

"It is a fantastic opportunity for students too, and will give them valuable practical experience of advising clients on actual problems under supervision, thereby gaining practical skills which should prove invaluable in their legal careers."

ends

* Pro Bono is a Latin term meaning ‘for the public good’ and refers to professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment, as a public service.

** The scheme with Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group is a joint initiative with LawWorks (formerly the Solicitors Pro Bono Group).
http://www.amicus-alj.org/
For more information about Amicus, go to www.amicus-alj.org

For more information about PoPs, go to www.partnersofprisoners.org.uk

For more about MMU's School of Law, go to www.law.mmu.ac.uk