Policy Initiatives

The Law Centres Federation promotes the Law Centre model as being the best for finding lasting solutions to people’s problems.

The model was outlined in the LCF’s response to the Government’s fundamental review of legal aid which took place in November 2004. Law_Centres_-_Legal_Action_in_the_Community.pdf provides an outline of the LCF’s vision for a Community Legal Service.

Legal Education

The Law Centres Federation model for providing legal services is to combine casework services with legal education.  The LCF is proud of the work that Law Centres do in providing legal information that explains to clients the law and all its processes – sometimes referred to as ‘demystifying’ the legal system.  To help promote this work, the LCF is a member of the Public Legal Education and Support – PLEAS – Task Force which published a report ‘Developing Capable Citizens’ in July 2007. Visit: Public Legal Education Task Force for further information. A copy of the report is under ‘Publications’ under Policy

New Areas of Law

The LCF and Law Centres take up new areas of law.  This often happens when the government introduces new legislation, such as new rights to education or access to community care services.  In the 1990s, when the Disability Discrimination Act was passed the LCF obtained funds from the National Lottery to set up a two year disability project to promote the new legislation. And in 2005, the Disability Rights Commission gave funding to the LCF to establish a new disability project with specialist workers spread across England and Wales.  See LCF Projects and ‘Disability Rights Project’ for more information.

In 2005, the LCF was awarded funds to set up a new project to help Law Centres to advise and raise awareness of Sexual Orientation, Religion or Belief and Age in Employment Equality legislation.  This was needed as new legislation was coming into force in October 2006.  Funding for the project came from the Department for Communities and Local Government and in addition a small grant from the Department for Trade and Industry for the work on age discrimination. See LCF Projects and ‘SORBAEE Project’ for more information.

Legal Help for All

The LCF has taken up the cause of making legal advice available to young people. Young people, together with services established specifically to meet their needs, have traditionally remained at the margins of mainstream advice provision. As a result young people are often unaware of their rights and unable to exercise them, leaving them at greater risk of social exclusion.  The LCF has worked closely with Youth Access to pioneer two new services: Streetwise Community Law Centre in South London and Streetlegal in North-East London.
New funding was obtained in 2006 to employ a specialist young people’s development manager to carry on with this work.  See LCF Projects and ‘Young People’s Project’ for further information.

LawWorks

LawWorks is a partnership between the Law Centres Federation and the Solicitors Pro Bono Group.  It was set up in June 2000 to develop pro bono (services provided by volunteers) legal advice services in the community.  The project brings together lawyers in the private sector and Law Centres to create additional Law Clinics.  The Solicitors Pro Bono Group has now changed their name to ‘LawWorks’. Visit: LawWorks for further information.

Law Centres have started many initiatives which involve working with local people and agencies.  These are covered in the section about Law Centres.