By Bena Nekesa
The Legal Aid Clinic (LAC) has carried out orientation for over 150 students who were recruited for the Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Programme across all our campuses. This initiative aims to equip Bar Course students with hands-on legal experience, bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical legal work.
Albert Ainebyoona and Namutosi Martha Mayeku, who are among the selected students, expressed their excitement about joining the programme. They take it as an opportunity to gain practical skills, interact with experienced legal professionals and contribute to access to justice.
Albert Ainebyoona
“LDC Clinical Legal Education will provides us with practical experience in applying legal knowledge to real cases. We shall develop essential skills such as: legal writing, case analysis, file management, and client interviewing. It will also foster a sense of ethical responsibility and help us to understand challenges faced by the marginalised, especially juveniles and indigent litigants,” said Ainebyoona.
Mayeku added that she feels privileged and lucky to have been selected for the programme. “This has been my dream, and now it is a reality. I have always wanted an opportunity to interface with senior legal officers. This will help me to broaden my social network and enrich legal knowledge. I am so humbled and happy to be part of this, and I am hopeful that it shall all go well for my colleagues as well,”
Namutosi Martha Mayeku
The CLE programme requires students to dedicate at least four hours a week to legal aid activities under the supervision of LAC staff and experienced advocates. Their responsibilities include: conducting client interviews, visiting police stations and prisons, preparing cases for self-representation, and participating in chamber mediations etc.
Students who obtain Student Practicing Certificates will also have the rare opportunity to directly represent clients in specific legal matters. In addition to these duties, students will also engage in community outreaches, visits to courts and tribunals and interacting with justice sector stakeholders etc.
Their performance will determine eligibility for clerkship opportunities, including placements at the University of York’s Baroness Hale Legal Clinic and LDC’s satellite clinics in hard-to-reach areas.
Manager LAC, Ms. Lydia Namuli, urged the students to take this programme seriously, emphasising professionalism, punctuality, and ethical conduct.
“This is not just about earning a certificate; it is about shaping your future as a legal practitioner. I call upon you to participate in activities, respect the process, and make the most of this opportunity to serve and learn,” she advised.
With the programme now in motion, students across all our campuses are set to gain essential legal skills while making meaningful impact in their communities.
The writer is an Intern in LDC PR Unit
