The partnership comes at a time of significant growth for the Law Clinic - cuts to legal aid resulting in a three-fold increase in cases over the past two years. Director of the Law Clinic, John Peake, commented:

The training and mentoring package Osborne Clarke will be providing comes at a critical time for the Clinic. It will help us continue to expand the service, whilst fulfilling our commitment to students by providing them with the support they need.

Osborne Clarke will initially provide Law Clinic students with advice on practical skills such as writing for clients, how to conduct an interview, team working and more. This will be followed up with ongoing mentoring by trainee solicitors throughout the year. Osborne Clarke’s relationship with the law clinic will be managed by legal director, Sarah Knight.

Peter Clough, head of Osborne Clarke's Bristol office, said:

There is a lack of access to justice for many people in Bristol and the South West. We take our responsibilities as a major local business seriously and we are delighted to be able to support such a valuable community resource, which will also serve to help nurture the next generation of lawyers.

The Law Clinic is part of the University of Bristol Law School, a Top Four UK Law School for Employability*. The opportunity to provide pro-bono advice, combined with the support students receive from academics and alumni plays a significant role in preparing them for careers beyond university. Peake concluded:

We are very excited by the partnership with Osborne Clarke. It will enable the Clinic to take on more students this year, and compliments the support they are already receiving from academics at the Law School.

*2017 Guardian University Guide

Applications for this year’s intake of Law Clinic students are now being accepted. The closing deadline is Friday 7 October. For further information, please contact Louise Chalice, Executive Assistant to the Law Clinic, either by telephone: 0117 954 5340, by email at: bristol-lawclinic@bristol.ac.uk