International Journal of Clinical Legal Education

Editorial

Lyndsey Bengtsson — 2025-12-18

Street Law for Specific Communities: A Project for Persons with Disabilities

Dema Lham — 2025-12-18

This article will discuss the need for legal education programs for Persons with Disabilities, how an innovative Street Law Program was created, and the benefits of such a program. Jigme Singye Wangchuk School of Law’s (JSW) Human Dignity Clinic (HDC) developed a multi-faceted legal community education program for Persons with Disabilities soon after the law school was founded in 2015. This article will discuss a law clinic project at JSW in the Kingdom of Bhutan, where the HDC reaches out to educate Persons with Disabilities about their legal rights and responsibilities.

This is an ongoing, law student led clinic project. Surveys were conducted of students and participants to gauge the success of the project. Some of the results will be shared in this article. It is hoped that the readers may adapt some of the lessons learned from this project to similar projects in their communities.

Sustaining Legal Clinics Through Summer: A Strategic Response to Rural Legal Advice Deserts in the Southwest of England

Kim McDonald — 2025-12-18

This From the Field Report, based on a single clinic case study, advances the proposition that strategically placed drop-in clinics at the outset of the summer period can serve as an effective intervention to mitigate the operational challenges faced by university law clinics due to reduced student participation during this time. Such an approach is particularly vital in South West England, where rurality and limited pro bono legal assistance contribute to the region being recognised as a legal advice desert.

A collaboration with Newcastle University, Australia, to adapt their innovative ‘Law on the Beach’ initiative to the coastal communities of Devon led us to think about how to counteract the seasonal decline in student participation and the resulting strain on legal clinic services. In 2024, we piloted a series of drop-in legal advice days at coastal locations, targeting areas where there was high client demand. Seaside towns often face distinct challenges that contribute to a lack of free legal provision in the locality. These communities typically have a more transient population than other areas, with many residents employed in seasonal, low-wage industries such as tourism and hospitality.

During these events many individuals received same-day advice, while those requiring continued support were referred to our summer clinic for ongoing assistance. This model has since been adapted from the beach idea inspired by the Australian model to meet the specific needs of Devon: in 2025, the clinic operated in the city of Exeter, and in 2026, it is scheduled to expand into the rural setting of Mid Devon, further enhancing access to justice in underserved rural areas.

Clinical Legal Education in the Philippines: Towards Institutionalization, Pedagogy, and a Professoriat

Eduardo R. C. Capulong — 2025-12-18

The 2019 revised law student practice rule mandating clinical training has reenergized Philippine clinical legal education. Despite the pandemic that followed its promulgation, the revised rule spurred law schools to launch programs serving a range of marginalized communities. The new programs follow a long history of skills education and access-to-justice programs in the country. In this article, the authors trace the development of Philippine clinical legal education and, drawing on local, regional, and international experience, call on educators and reformers to harness the momentum created by the revised rule and deepen its institutional and pedagogical foundations and create a dedicated clinical professoriat.

Protection of Linguistic Diversity & Access to Justice for All through Pro Bono: Case Study of Nigeria (International Federation of Women Lawyers & Nigerian Law School Law Clinics)

Rebecca E. Badejogbin — 2025-12-18

Access to justice for the indigent in Nigeria has been a growing concern over the years and has drawn governmental and private efforts towards achieving this feat. Civil societies and law clinics have also taken advantage of this opportunity to centre their activities towards meeting these needs. Indeed, a lot has been done through the instrumentality of these groups amidst growing challenges one of which is the hindrance caused by the inability to adequately communicate in a language common to these service providers and the recipients of their services especially in a country with over 400 indigenous languages. This article therefore through empirical and doctrinal research, probes what these challenges are, in the six geopolitical regions in Nigeria, for the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) – a civil society - and the Law Clinics run by the Nigerian Law School. It explores the constitutional framework with respect to the recognition of the use of indigenous languages. It also identifies the pragmatic approach utilised by FIDA and the law clinics in addressing these challenges, and makes recommendations on how these language challenges can be surmounted to an extent to enhance access to justice. It affirms that harnessing the use of indigenous languages for enhanced life and livelihood is crucial to national development.

From Participation to Practice: Embedding Experiential Human Rights Education Through the Model UN and the UPR Project at BCU

Amna Nazir — 2025-12-18

This article presents a reflective and practice-based analysis of the Model United Nations (Model UN) and Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Project at Birmingham City University, highlighting their role as an innovative approach to human rights education within legal studies. Against the backdrop of ongoing debates about curriculum reform and experiential learning in UK legal education, the article examines how simulation-based teaching methods can enhance students’ engagement with international human rights law, diplomacy, and accountability. Drawing on pedagogical theory and critical reflection, it explores the project’s design, intended learning outcomes, and potential to foster legal and civic competencies such as critical thinking, advocacy, and global awareness. It argues that initiatives such as Model UN and the UPR Project enable law students to move beyond abstract legal theory toward practical, values-based learning, preparing them for roles as globally aware, socially conscious legal professionals. The article concludes with recommendations for embedding experiential learning into the human rights curriculum as a strategy to enhance student engagement, civic literacy, and the professional relevance of legal education.