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P R O B ONO
KIND UK There are an estimated 120,000 undocumented children in the UK vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and exploitation. As they transition into adulthood without secure immigration status, they can find themselves prevented from accessing medical care, higher education, employment and justice. Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) UK runs a national project that helps undocumented children living in the UK to secure British citizenship or permission to reside in the UK. A dedicated KIND UK lawyer trains and supports Clyde & Co’s pro bono volunteers to handle a citizenship / immigration case from start to finish. Trainees work with qualified lawyers at the firm on all aspects of the process, from conducting remote interviews with families to obtaining essential background information, to drafting letters of advice and application forms. KIND UK provides an excellent opportunity for Trainees to work alongside like-minded lawyers whilst learning about immigration law.
ZUESS PROJECT The Zambrano EUSS Project (ZEUSS Project), was set-up.to assist the migrant charity Praxis to complete as many EUSS* applications for Zambrano Carers** as possible before the 30 June 2021 application deadline. Each Clyde & Co Trainee volunteer was partnered with a volunteer lawyer from the firm and they were trained and supervised by the Praxis legal team to prepare applications on behalf of the clients. In addition to helping individuals who otherwise would not get the legal advice they need, this kind of project is a great opportunity for Trainees to network with lawyers from across Clyde & Co, to develop their drafting and interviewing skills and to learn how the legal community can respond to unforeseen and immediate need for legal advice. In fact, due to its innovation and impact, the ZEUSS Project has now been shortlisted for the Law Society’s ‘Excellence in Pro Bono’ Award 2021. Details can be found here.
UNPAID WAGES CLINIC To help individuals with their day- to-day personal legal queries, we run and participate in various pro bono legal clinics. These support the local community either by offering one- off “on the day” appointments or by supporting individuals throughout their case. The Unpaid Wages Project is a project run by LawWorks for pro bono volunteers to represent individuals who have not been properly paid by their employers. With appropriate guidance and support from specialist employment lawyers, Trainees are responsible for managing their own cases and represent the client from the beginning to the end of the case. This includes conducting interviews with clients, preparing claim forms and supporting documents, corresponding with other parties’ legal representatives and representing clients in the Employment Tribunal.
THE CLIMATE CHANGE GROUP Clyde & Co’s Climate Change Group (CCG) is a self-led group of Trainees that identifies and runs climate related learning, business development and pro bono initiatives. One of the pro bono initiatives supported by the CCG is The [Chancery Lane] Project (TCLP). TCLP is a collaborative effort of lawyers from around the world to develop new contractual clauses to help fight climate change and reach net zero by 2050. Through this project and the CCG, Trainees can develop their skills while using the law to deliver climate solutions. There are opportunities for Trainees to organise, facilitate and take part in TCLP’s hackathons, where legal professionals come together to discuss and draft new climate-conscious contractual provisions. Those contractual provisions are then peer reviewed and published for general use so that lawyers can include them in precedent documents and contracts, ultimately supporting their clients to achieve their climate goals.
* The “EU Settlement Scheme” (EUSS) was set up to process the applications of European Union citizens living in the UK to allow them to remain in the UK after Brexit on 21 January. ** “Zambrano carers” are non-EU sole parents/carers of British children.
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