Victoria law students are being given a chance to use their legal skills in community projects with the recent launch of The Wellington Community Justice Project.
This project is a student-driven initiative, where students can help those in the community who do not have access to legal advice, while gaining practical experience in law.
The four key areas are education, advocacy, human rights and law reform.
The education branch will be working on a project called The YEP (The Youth Education Project) offering legal advice to young people in alternative education or industry training organisations.
The advocacy team will be working on several projects, including the ‘Innocence Project’—a joint project with the University of Otago which investigates possible cases of wrongful conviction in New Zealand.
The human rights team will work alongside the Human Rights Commission, giving students the opportunity to establish relationships with renowned human rights lawyers and civil society organisations.
The law reform team will consult and aid community organisations who desire law reform.
The project has received an excellent response, with Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier saying: “Your project reflects everything that is noble in a true community spirit, because you are helping others for no cost and for the greater good.”