- Pro bono criminal appeals clinic
- Pro bono criminal appeals clinic
Criminal appeals pro bono clinic
Join our six-week programme to help a client challenge their conviction for a serious criminal offence, working as part of our volunteer casework team to identify possible routes to appeal. All of our work is carried out remotely, so you can participate from anywhere in the world.
If you are looking for help with a criminal appeal please click here.
Criminal appeals
pro bono opportunities
For undergraduates, graduates and students on a BTC, LPC or SQE course we provide the opportunity to gain firsthand experience of complex criminal appeals cases, whilst developing invaluable practical skills and working remotely as part of a diverse casework team.
Cost: £100 +VAT
Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the materials and engage with the team.
Over the course of six weeks, you will be reviewing a criminal appeals case where our client believes that they have been wrongfully convicted. You will be given a complete case file and asked to collaborate with your peers and the clinic team to identify potential grounds of appeal and help the client progress their case. Whether it is evaluating the impact of fresh evidence or researching and drafting new legal arguments, you are expected to take responsibility for your own work and ensuring that we meet each client’s needs.
You will meet with the clinic team remotely each week to discuss progress, exchange ideas and allow for any necessary supervision. We use a secure messaging platform so that everyone in the team can discuss the case between meetings.
The programme includes comprehensive learning materials dealing with the relevant aspects of criminal appeals as well as an introduction to criminal litigation and topics that you can expect to encounter on the LPC, SQE or bar training course. We also offer free mental health drop-in sessions and legal research workshops.
How can you get involved?
Step 1
Sign up for the programme.
Step 2
Take part in the casework programme over six weeks.
Step 3
Decide if you would like to take part in follow up activities, including the opportunity to review a further FTP case, work on a mini project within the clinic or sign up for our skills training programme and Qualifying Work Experience opportunities for the SQE.
The benefits
- Make a difference!
- Gain firsthand experience of working on criminal appeal cases
- Demonstrate your commitment to pro bono
- Increase your employability
- Develop discussion points for pupillage, training contracts or scholarship interviews
- Work in a challenging but collaborative and supportive environment
- Interact with clients, expert witnesses and other legal professionals
- Make the leap from academic learning to applying it in practise
- Work on topical developments in criminal law
- Access BTC / LPC / SQE content
- Participate from anywhere in the world
Our team
ABOUT US
We are a not-for-profit established in 2022 and our goal is simple – to provide flexible legal work experience to people from non-traditional backgrounds so that they can fulfil their potential.
Over the past eight years, across different organisations, our team of people have trained thousands of aspiring lawyers in casework methodology, giving them the knowledge and skills to complete meaningful work on client cases. This expertise is distilled into casework programmes as well as our QWE and SQE opportunities.
We’re proud that our innovative model ensures that clients who would otherwise be denied access to justice can rely on a highly-focused team of qualified and trainee lawyers, while students get access to the most dynamic and exciting real-life legal experience imaginable.
Next steps
Not sure? Start a conversation and we’ll gladly answer any questions!
Olivia Mitev – Programme Assistant
olivia@sequentus.org