North West University Law Clinic
North West University Law Clinic, The Law Clinic forms part of the Faculty of Law of the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus. The Law Clinic is involved in a number of projects concerning free legal services, community outreach, and capacity building programmes, as well as advisory services. The Law Clinic operates in the provinces of North-West and Mpumalanga where these activities take place.
The Law Clinic was officially opened on 05 August 1981 and is a Centre of the Faculty of Law of the North- West University, Potchefstroom Campus. The Law Clinic is involved in several projects which include training, provision of free legal services, community outreach, capacity building programmes and advisory services. The Law Clinic operates in the provinces of North West and Mpumalanga where these activities take place.
The above activities are aimed at:
Training
Practical legal training within the LLB programme of the NWU. Short courses for lawyers and paralegals. Training to members of the communities in the areas where the Law Clinic operates.
Legal Aid Services
The Law Clinic provides free legal services to poor and vulnerable people in the aforementioned provinces.
Capacity building
These programmes assist paralegals and members of the community to, inter alia, develop legal skills and capacity to enable them to practice these skills in the communities in which they work.
Advisory Services
The Law Clinic further provides advisory services to members of the community to promote a “rights -based” society, and to, instead of taking the law into their own hands, use the law to enforce their rights
Within these activities, the Law Clinic cooperates with various organisations such as Legal Aid South Africa, government departments, provincial paralegal organisations, and other NGOs and CBOs to be successful and achieve its objectives.
In addition, the Law Clinic receives funding from international and national donors, as referred to herein, to be able to be involved in these activities. Without such funding, this would have been impossible.
The Law Clinic, through its activities, wishes to improve the quality of life of people in the North-West and Mpumalanga Provinces.