WORK AT UNIVERSITY LAW CLINICS

In this paper an analysis is offered as to compulsory so-called "live client " clinical legal education as part of the LLB. Possible compulsory community service for law graduates as envisaged in the proposed Legal Practice Bill falls beyond the ambit of this paper.1 These two distinct options could be complementary- for example where post-study community service is provided at a university law clinic through the supervision of student work. However, for the purposes of this paper post-study community service will be excluded. This study will firstly explore the motivating factors which establish the basis for the need to implement a year’s compulsory community service during the LLB studies and in the process making clinical legal education compulsory. These include the ways in which law students and graduates may aid in the achievement of access to justice. The research will then focus on what the value of community service is in higher education generally. In the South African civil justice system many ordinary people cannot afford to use the courts because of the expense involved, or because they are ignorant of their rights.2 This is particularly the case in civil as opposed to criminal matters, as legal aid is greatly focused on criminal as opposed to civil matters in this country.3 This paper will consider the role which senior law students may play in rendering pro bono work as part of clinical legal education in their LLB studies. In this regar