School of Law Legal Advice Centre
13 Jan 2017
Free legal advice by appointment
The University of Manchester School of Law Legal Advice Centre (LAC) is based on the 4th Floor of Crawford House, and is currently taking enquiries for appointments for free legal advice. Please note that appointments are not solely for university staff or students. If you have a local friend or relative with a legal difficulty, we may be able to provide advice for them also.
Areas covered include employment, housing, family, consumer, contractual, our award winning dementia law clinic, advice to small business and wills and probate. If we are unable to help you with a particular enquiry, we will endeavour to signpost you to the most suitable alternatives. We will quickly be able to confirm if your enquiry falls within the remit of the Centre.
Appointments on campus, normally but not solely between 12pm-2pm, quickly become booked up and we would advise you to make an early request where possible. Please note that there will be a break in appointments as we approach Easter. We are only able to provide legal advice following a face to face appointment as this is an essential aspect of the students’ practical experience.
At the discretion of the Centre Manager, students from the School of Law give advice on a wide range of legal problems, under the supervision of qualified law staff and local practitioners who volunteer their time and expertise free of charge. The aim is to offer a reliable advice service to those with legal difficulties, especially those who have been unable to receive advice elsewhere, and to provide a clinical education experience to the law student volunteers. We hope to advise you on your legal position and what steps you could take next, including referral to other agencies if appropriate.
After an appointment, your problem is researched by the students who draft a letter of advice to be sent to you once approval is received from the Centre Manager. The target for completing the process is two weeks from the date of appointment but this will vary according to the specific complexities of each case. All legal advice will be given in the strictest confidence in accordance with the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority Code of Conduct.
Any legal enquiry is welcome but we are unable to advise regarding claims against the University, its governors, employees or current students or to advise on any situation where a potential conflict of interest may arise.
If you have an issue on which you feel we may be able to provide advice, please contact the School of Law Legal Advice Centre:
- eMail free.legal@manchester.ac.uk
- Tel 0161 275 7976 during office hours or 0161 306 1264 to leave a voicemail
- In person at our current premises: 4th Floor, Crawford House