We provide specialist legal advice and representation to people who could not otherwise afford access to justice. Our solicitors focus on social welfare law issues such as community care, discrimination, employment, housing, immigration & asylum, mental health and welfare benefits to people living in Bristol and in some cases across the South West.
www.ablc.org.ukGrants
Avon and Bristol Law Centre
Virtual Law Clinic
Grant: £39,200
July 19, 2018
The Virtual Law Clinic project uses Skype technology and pro bono support to offer free advice to individuals in ‘advice deserts’ areas where vulnerable people are unable to access a Law Centre.
Clients are supported by a volunteer working under supervision at a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in North Somerset or Somerset. The project has attracted a lot of regional and national attention and a number of CAB offices have contacted us to see if the project could be expanded.
The project currently provides legal advice in the areas of employment law and family law however it is planned to expand the model to include civil litigation and immigration.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| User of Advice Organisations | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Avon and Bristol Law Centre
Virtual Law Centre
Grant: £82,011
April 10, 2017
The Virtual Law Centre is a Skype based service providing specialist legal advice from pro bono solicitors and barristers based in Bristol to clients in more rural areas of the South West who do not have access to pro bono services. The project is hosted by Avon and Bristol Law Centre working closely in partnership with Citizens Advice North Somerset and Citizens Advice South Somerset whose clients will be accessing the service. The project aims to develop to include more partners and provide a comprehensive network of pro bono advice across the region.
The aim is to start with family law and employment with one off advice sessions but build up to an end to end casework service as the project develops.
Focus will be on helping the most vulnerable people to resolve their legal issues quickly and helpfully, with clients being supported on to further services where needed. The aim is to provide a much needed service in areas where people have no access at all to free specialist legal advice and representation.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| User of Advice Organisations | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Avon and Bristol Law Centre
Virtual Law Centre - South West
Grant: £10,000
October 4, 2016
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| People Working in the Law | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Avon and Bristol Law Centre
Future Advice - South West Law Centres Community Interest Company – Ethical Law
Grant: £71,454
July 16, 2015
The project plans to generate a sustainable source of income for the 3 law centres by earning private fees which are split between the solicitor and Ethical Law (“EL”). EL’s profits are then donated to the law centres.
EL will draw on a pool of solicitors initially specialising in family, employment and immigration, as we know from experience that there is demand for private work in these areas.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| General Public | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
Avon and Bristol Law Centre
Legal Advocacy Support Project
Grant: £50,000
August 8, 2014
Providing legal advice and representation to vulnerable people to ensure all people have access to justice and legal redress. The project will provide volunteer law students with valuable client facing experience, including drafting, collation of evidence, hearing preparation and advocacy.
A unique feature of the Project is that law students are trained to work on a single type of legal matter so that training need only cover a narrowly defined area of law in case preparation saving caseworker time and improving the client’s chance of a fair outcome. Tasks include:
- Preparing appellant’s statement;
- obtaining medical, witness and other evidence;
- Preparation of legal submission;
- Pre-hearing advice to client on the hearing procedure, the key issues in that case and the evidence they need to provide at the hearing; and representation at the appeal hearing.
| Increase Public Understanding | Advance High Quality Thinking | Increase Access to Employment |
| Law Students | ||
| Implications of Brexit | Legal Needs in Healthcare Settings | Influence the Online Court |
| Develop Robust Evidence Base | ||
| Understand Role of Technology | ||
| Law Reform, Policy and Regulation | ||
| Communications to Disseminate Learning | ||
