Legal Clinics for Social Change
The Legal Clinics for Social Change at the Faculty of Law contribute to advancing human rights and democratic values in Israel. Seven specialized clinics handle more than 500 cases per year on behalf of marginalized populations. The hands-on program gives law students an opportunity to work on real cases in diverse areas of law.
The Legal Clinics also provide a unique opportunity for UofH’s diverse student body to collaborate and work in a multi-ethnic setting – becoming a model for inter-community solidarity, mutual respect and shared society.
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The Project
The Legal Clinics for Social Change promote social change through legal action, engaging law students in high impact litigation, advocating for policy and legislative reform, and ensuring equal access to the legal system for marginalized communities. Students in the Legal Clinics see examples of social injustices, and get to experience corrective legal interventions firsthand. Their work has a real and lasting impact on Israeli society, promoting human rights and access to justice for marginalized communities.
The unique expertise and insights gained by the Legal Clinics leads to groundbreaking legal research, that sheds light on the relationship between the law found in the books and law “on the ground”. Clinical legal research enriches legal scholarship with a unique clinical perspective and can also effect social change by influencing judges and lawyers. The Legal Clinics have written five original articles in the past year and are in various stages of publication in academic legal journals.
In addition to having a profound impact on our clients’ lives, the Legal Clinics play an important role in the professional training and development of future lawyers – instilling in them a commitment to social responsibility. The Legal Clinics are often described by students as one of the most meaningful experiences in their studies.
The Faculty of Law operates seven legal clinics:
- The Public Defenders Clinic
- The Human Rights Clinic
- The Education Law and Policy Clinic
- The Law, Technology and Cyber Clinic
- The Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic
- The Protection of Marginalized Communities through Civil Litigation Clinic
- The Legal Feminism Clinic
Photo Credit: Nitzan Zohar