Legal Clinics are part of the Learning by Doing project, and one of the objectives of the Roma Tre University’s Department of Law. The intent is to train students not only in legal knowledge from a theoretical point of view, but also in practical skills and abilities.
The Legal Clinics are run in the form of laboratories, accompanied by a certain number of theoretical teaching hours with a Clinic Professor, by which students are put in direct contact with the general public seeking help with various legal issues.
Thus, supported and supervised by specialist lawyers, students have the opportunity to provide free legal assistance and advice while learning about a variety of legal issues, carrying out research, drafting legal opinions, conducting negotiations, and managing relations with users. The service, therefore, brings benefits not only to students, who, in Learning by Doing, acquire skills and abilities well beyond the limits of traditional teaching courses, but also to the general public.
The students participating in Legal Clinics are confronted with a range of challenges that they would not encounter through traditional teaching, such as:
- Observing and understanding issues relating to the application of the laws regarding the defence of rights.
- Investigating facts, identifying problems and applying the principles of law in order to resolve concrete cases.
- Elaborating a strategic assessment of the situation, building and planning a case, drafting legal texts and developing the ability to make arguments.
- Where necessary, instructing the defence counsel.
- Knowing how to relate to clients and other parties involved in the legal case.
The ultimate goal is to learn how to be jurists capable of managing legal knowledge, fulfilling their role in interactions with other social actors, adopting appropriate behaviours, and respecting professional ethical codes.