Law students launch Wellington community justice project

JUSTICE HAS just got a whole lot closer for those who need it in Wellington, with the recent launch of the Wellington Community Justice Project, an exciting new organisation established from Victoria University’s Law School.

The project provides law students with the opportunity to work with lawyers and gain practical legal experience through research and case work. “Student volunteers will be involved in four areas of the project: law reform, human rights, education, and advocacy,” said project leader Helena Nunn. “It is a long-term project run entirely by students with consent and support from Victoria University’s Faculty of Law.”

At the project’s launch, Principal Family Court Judge Andrew Becroft praised the initiative. “Justice in this country is hardest to find where it is most needed,” he said. “This has the potential to be a life-changing experience for the students involved and for those who receive their assistance.”

Nunn said, “The aim of the project is to improve community access to legal services, to educate individuals about processes such as law reform as well as the law itself. And, finally, to provide a means of getting students more involved with their community.”

The student volunteers will be working with organisations such as community law centres, the Human Rights Commission, the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Innocence Project New Zealand, and members of the legal profession.

For more information on the Wellington Community Justice Project, please contact Helena Nunn at (021) 263 5404.

NZLawyer, 30 April 2010