Community Law Otago strives to provide legal support in a variety of ways to reach across the Otago community.
Generally clinics are operated at the premises of Community Law Otago at varying times a week during the university year, using an appointment system at times to accommodate client’s other commitments and travel arrangements. We do try to make room for people to drop in at these open hours. Over the summer holidays, clinics operate 3 or 4 times a week, depending on the number of volunteers available. These clinics are staffed by rostered volunteers comprising any one of our volunteer lawyers and 7 of our 100 selected law students. The lawyer guides the student through the interviewing process, the legal research, formulating a client option plan, clarifying and rehearsing the advice to be given to the client.
Rural outreach
Outreach clinics are operated by appropriately qualified staff, in cooperation with local community service providers who provide the premises, the advertising and the local knowledge.
You can find more information on when these clinics are held here:
Community Law Otago is committed to working with Māori community and Māori service providers by:
Supporting and facilitating appropriate solutions to individual and group legal needs.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with tangata whenua, whānau, hapū and iwi.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with marae, whānau ora providers, kaupapa Māori social service providers and mainstream organisations.
Researching systemic issues in our region and advocating for law reform where appropriate.
Employing a ‘go to’ person to facilitate quickly obtained, reliable and accurate legal advice and assistance from Community Law Otago to Māori community. CLO has a responsibility for developing and delivering legal education to Māori. This responsibility includes:
Planning, developing and delivering our legal education programme.
Developing innovative and effective education resources.
We are also have developed a “Quick Access Service” for front line workers in local community social service organisations, to enable staff to ‘red flag’ legal issues that may need legal assistance and support before they escalate