Legal Clinics in Poland

Legal Clinics in Poland

Summary of the legal clinics activity in the academic year 2010/2011

Basic information on the Polish Legal Clinics Foundation activity.

Legal Clinics in Poland 2003-2011

Białystok

Warszawa

Lublin

RzeszówKrakówKatowice

Opole

WrocławŁódź

Poznań

Toruń

Gdańsk

Szczecin

SłubiceRok akademicki 2003/200417 poradni w 14 miastach

Rok akademicki 2004/200521 poradni w 15 miastach

Białystok

Warszawa

Lublin

RzeszówKrakówKatowice

Opole

WrocławŁódź

Poznań

Toruń

Gdańsk

Szczecin

Słubice

Olsztyn

Rok akademicki 2005/200623 poradnie w 15 miastach

Białystok

Warszawa

Lublin

RzeszówKrakówKatowice

Opole

WrocławŁódź

Poznań

Toruń

Gdańsk

Szczecin

Słubice

Olsztyn

Rok akademicki 2006/200724 poradnie w 15 miastach

Białystok

Warszawa

Lublin

RzeszówKrakówKatowice

Opole

WrocławŁódź

Poznań

Toruń

Gdańsk

Szczecin

Słubice

Olsztyn

Rok akademicki 2007/2008 - 2009/201025 poradni w 15 miastach

Białystok

Warszawa

Lublin

RzeszówKrakówKatowice

Opole

WrocławŁódź

Poznań

Toruń

Gdańsk

Szczecin

Słubice

Olsztyn

Academic year 2010/201125 clinics in 16 cities

Białystok

Warszawa

Lublin

RzeszówKrakówKatowice

Opole

WrocławŁódź

Poznań

Toruń

Gdańsk

Szczecin

Słubice

Olsztyn

Gdynia

Legal Clinics in Poland

Białystok - University of Białystok

Białystok – Stanisław Staszic Higher School of Public Administration

Gdańsk – Gdańsk University

Gdynia – Higher School of Law and Diplomacy

Katowice – Silesian University

Kraków – Andrzeja Frycz-Modrzewski Krakow Academy

Kraków – Jagiellonian University

Lublin – Catholic University of Lublin

Lublin - Maria Skłodowska-Curie University

Łódź – University of Łódź

Olsztyn – University of Warmia and Mazury

Opole – Opole University

Poznań - Adam Mickiewicz University

Rzeszów – Rzeszów University

Słubice - Collegium Polonicum

Szczecin – University of Szczecin

Toruń – Nicolaus Copernicus University

Warszawa - Leon Koźmiński Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management

Warszawa – European Higher School of Law and Administration

Warszawa - Academia Iuris Foundation

Warszawa – Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University

Warszawa – Warsaw University

Warszawa – Łazarski School of Commerce and Law

Warszawa – Helena Chodkowska Higher School of Management and Law

Wrocław – Wrocław University

Clinics accredited by the Legal Clinics Foundation

1. Student Legal Clinic in Białystok (University of Białystok)2. Student University Legal Clinic in Gdańsk3. Legal Advice Clinic at the Higher School of Diplomacy and Law in Gdynia4. Student Legal Clinic in Katowice5. University Legal Clinic in Kraków6. Student Legal Clinic of the Krakow Akademy of A. Frycz-Modrzewski in Krakow7. University Legal Clinic in Lublin (Catholic University)8. University Student Legal Clinic in Lublin (Curie-Skłodowska University)9. Student Legal Information Point „Klinika Prawa” in Łódź10. Student Social – Legal Advice Office „Bona Fides” in Opole11. Student Legal Clinic at the Warmia and Mazury University in Olsztyn12. Student University Legal Clinic in Poznań13. University Legal Clinic in Rzeszowie14. Scientific Group Student Legal Clinic in Słubice15. „Legal Education Center” – Student Legal Clinic in Szczecin16. University Legal Clinic in Toruń17. Academia Iuris Foundation in Warsaw18. Legal Clinic, Student Center of Legal Aid in Warsaw (Warsaw University)19. Student Legal Clinic in Warsaw (L. Koźmiński Academy)20. Student Legal Clinic in Warsaw (Lazarski School of Commerce and Law)21. Student Legal Advice Office in Warsaw (Academy-WSZiP)22. University Legal Clinic in Wrocław

2010/2011legal clinics activity in numbers

12 786 – cases submitted to legal clinics between October 2010 to June 2011

30 % (3934 cases) dealt with civil law problems

1994 students and 224 supervisors worked at the clinics

9 – supervisor – student ratio 7 – cases – student ratio

Comparing to the previous academic year…

… number of cases increased by 8 %

… number of students increased by 13,5 %.,

… number of academic staff involved increased by 3,7%

Comparing to previous years…

9131049

1279 13021350

16611756

1994

109 147 179 197 209 216 216 224

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2003

/2004

2004

/2005

2005

/2006

2006

/2007

2007

/2008

2008

/2009

2009

/2010

2010

/2011

Number of cases: 2003-2011 Number of students and supervisors: 2003-2011

students

supervisors

Number of cases accepted by the clinics

Total: 12 786

Number of students working at the clinics

Total: 1 994

Number of supervisors working at the clinics

33

18

14 1413

12 1211

109 9 9

8 87 7

5 5 5 53

2 21 1

Total: 216

Types of cases accepted

1608

1120 1094

577

174 109 45 14 4 28

514

3934

2620

157 48 11 6 19

3214

2148

916

334

1521

1148 1033 761653

119 63

693

Civil

Criminal

Family

Labour a

nd Unem

ploymen

t

Inheritan

ce

Housing

Administr

ative

Refugees an

d Foreigners

Financia

l

Social A

id

Health care

Disable

dNGO

Violence

against

women

Other

Total in 2009/2010: 11 899

Total in 2010/2011: 12 786

Average time of handling the case

Short explanation - advice on the

spot (1-2 visits, up to 2

weeks)37,4%

Several visits (between 2

weeks and 2 months)47,4%

Between 2 months and

year10,5%

Year and more4,7%

How did the client learned about the clinic

Media28%

Family8%

Friends27%

Info Flyer11%

NGO and institution

s12%

Other13%

Present status of the legal clinics in Poland

There are very few NGO based legal clinics in Poland. Almost all of the legal clinics in Poland are recognized by the Universities as a

part of the legal curriculum at our law schools (as one of the optional classes that are offered to the students).

Legal Clinics are present at every law school in Poland. Some of the legal clinics (Krakow, Warsaw, Bialystok, Lodz) gained a status of a

chair or laboratory, which means that they became part of the university budget. All of the legal clinics that are based at the Universities get all the office costs

covered as well as the professor’s salaries paid by the universities. Our Foundation representatives and a group of legal aid NGO’s with a support of

the Ombudsman drafted a new law on access to legal aid. We convinced the Ministry of Justice to include our activity as a part of the national network of institutions that will provide so called pre-trial legal advice and basic legal information to poor people.

Legal Clinics Foundation’s achievements

• The Foundation has the status of the public benefit organization.• Won a distinctive prize of the Best Pro Publico Bono Civil Initiative contest.• ELSA Poland granted the Foundation title of „Legal Education Supporter”

in 2006 and 2007.

• For 9 years has organized annual Pro Bono Lawyer Contest.• Granted legal clinics with material and financial means of the total value

of appr. 200 000 USD (financial) and over 315 000 USD (in-kind).

• Published first in Poland and in region textbook „The Legal Clinics. The Idea, Organization, Methodology” (available also in English, and soon in Russian and Chinese). By the time being we published 11 textbooks and manuals on clinical legal education, another 2 are in preparation.

• Organized 16 National Legal Clinics Conferences as well as several workshops.

• Actively participated in the creation of a strong clinical movement in Central and Eastern Europe and in the transforming countries including: Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Serbia, Belarus, Georgia.

• In 2008 Centrum Pro Bono has been opened as a program which aims to connect pro bono legal aid offered by law firms with legal needs of the NGOs.

Legal Clinics Foundation’s Supporters

Institutional Sponsors

Sponsors

Thank you for your attention!

Legal Clinics Foundation

ul. Szpitalna 5 lok. 5 00-031 Warszawatel.: (22) 828 91 28 w.143; fax: (22) 828 91 29www.fupp.org.pl, [email protected]

Bank PEKAO S.A. II o/Warszawa nr: 87 1240 1024 1111 0000 0269 4777