PSU students provide legal assistance to the public

The Student Legal Aid Service, or in other words, the Legal Clinic, is an independent structural unit of Polotsk State University. Law students, under the guidance of experienced educators, advise residents of Novopolotsk on issues of civil, labor, housing, family, and administrative law, and also help draft legal documents.

The form of work chosen is a public reception, which is held according to a schedule at the university and at the city executive committee, namely in the Public Center for Legal Information of the Novopolotsk Central Library System. During its existence, the service has already managed to gain certain experience. Over the past academic year, future legal scholars have reviewed more than 50 applications.

For the population, this is an opportunity to get an answer to a pressing question, and for the students themselves, it is good experience in applying theory to practice. Junior students begin their work in the legal clinic as assistant consultants and only then move to a higher level and independently handle the applications they receive. If novice legal scholars encounter difficulties or doubts in resolving a particular issue, they can always seek advice from the teacher who supervises the service and coordinates the work of the consultants. It is noteworthy that only the best students of the faculty are admitted to provide information and legal assistance to the public, as they pass a qualifying exam to be admitted to the service. Moreover, upon graduation, young men and women who have worked as consultants receive a corresponding document, which will certainly be useful for future employment.

The second area of activity is educational: during off-site lectures, students teach schoolchildren the basics of legal literacy, which are important for the younger generation to know today.

Natalia Ryzhkova, "Vitebskiye Vesti"