Advancing Towards a Future Vision of Social Justice within Clinical Legal Education

Clinical legal education has arguably become a growing trend in UK law schools. However, the primary focus of this clinical activity appears to be educational value, rather than promoting social justice. With the recession plunging more of the population into poverty and decreased access to Legal Aid post LASPO (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012), this paper makes a case for a vision which advances a post-recession social justice agenda and framework for the future. Drawing on the author’s own the clinical experience, the LawWorks Law School Pro Bono and Clinic Report (2014) and the works of leading social justice commentators including Aiken (2013) and Wizner (2012) this paper will argue for more sophisticated and dynamic clinical models to further the social justice mission. It will address pedagogies and frameworks for the advancement of social justice, highlighting barriers and solutions to better support marginalised and underrepresented clients and communities. It will articulate why social justice must be repositioned at the forefront of clinical activities, particularly in the current economic climate.