The Free Representation Unit (FRU) is a charity that provides legal advice, case preparation and advocacy in employment, social security, and some criminal injury compensation tribunal cases. Our clients could not otherwise obtain legal support for want of personal means and public funding. To provide our service we train volunteer law students and legal professionals in the early stages of their career in the skills required to give confident and competent support for the rights of others. Our volunteer reps give their time for free, so whilst we try our best to cover as many cases as possible, we cannot always guarantee representation.
www.thefru.org.ukGrants
Free Representation Unit
Taking Advantage of Digital
Grant: £50,000
June 21, 2017
The Unit will improve its digital provision, and transform its working practices, enabling it to fulfil its dual commitment to increase access to justice for those with unmet legal needs, and advance the practice skills, experience and knowledge of law students and professionals in the early stages of their careers. Our vision is “Streamlining and growing free representation and advocacy experience through seamless, intuitive and effective processes and systems, in secure, supported spaces.”
Using the “cloud” and associated digital tools, the Unit will make better use of its situation (i.e. increasing number of cases) and resources (i.e. staff, advice agencies and volunteers) to achieve the organisations objectives (which are coextensive with those of the Foundation).
The project will simplify and speed-up administrative processes for staff, improve accessibility and efficiency for volunteers and allow the creation of new educational and training content. Central to this is FRUweb – a network of simple, connected, secure, supported spaces where people, platforms and paper meet to enable clients, agencies, volunteers and staff, which provides interfaces and enables Hubs for each key stakeholder group.
This funding will support the project through a phased approach.
| 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 | ||
Free Representation Unit
Development of e learning and digital resources
Grant: £12,000
June 22, 2016
| 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 | ||
