"The clinics offer hands-on, practical legal experience for our students."

In July 2016 (Trimester 2), Deakin Law School (DLS) introduced two new Law Clinics, which are:

• Business Venture Clinic
• Civil and Commercial Legal Clinic

Deakin Law Clinics are operated as Learning Law Firms which take on real clients and real cases.  Their purpose is two-fold. First they provide a service to the community, who receive quality legal help completely free of charge. Second, they provide Deakin law students with practical legal skills that make them work-ready and boost employability.

Operating out of Deakin’s Melbourne CBD campus at 550 Bourke St, the law clinics provide legal assistance in the areas including corporate structuring, intellectual property, drafting contracts, family issues, immigration and VCAT matters.

Popular in the US and in the UK, Law Clinics are designed to provide students with practical experience to supplement the more traditional, theoretical aspects of their course. Supported by Clinical Solicitors, members of the legal profession and Deakin academic staff, students are able to develop skills that use and support their technical knowledge. Students are able to develop their skills in the areas of conducting interviews, managing cases, checking facts and undertaking legal research and analysis. In addition, there is a preference for cases that touch on areas experiencing high change in the legal profession, such as the use of technology in business. This will ensure that students have a good knowledge within the areas most likely to generate employment for them in future. The overarching result is that they emerge from their degree work-ready and with a level of knowledge that will take them further, faster.

The clinics currently engage up to 20 students per trimester.

If you would like more information about the clinics, please contact us on law-clinics@deakin.edu.au.