Does the Legal Clinic have regular staff?

The Legal Clinic does not have regular staff. The Legal Clinic is run by professors from the UPF Faculty of Law supported by Faculty of Law administrative staff and volunteers.

Does the Legal Clinic adhere to legal regulation and the legal professionals’ code of practice?

Yes. The Legal Clinic has a dedicated section which ensures compliance with applicable legal regulations and the code of practice. The current coordinator of this section is Ms. Gabriela Boldó Prats.

Is personal data protected by the Legal Clinic?

Yes. The Legal Clinic protects personal data in accordance with UPF personal data protection policies.

Where is the Clinic located?

The Legal Clinic office is 21.305 Jaume I Building of the UPF Ciutadella Campus (Ramon Trías Fargas, 25, Barcelona 08005). The Legal Clinic office is accessed via the staircase located on the ground floor inside the library.

Due to the lack of fixed opening hours, it is necessary to contact the Legal Clinic in advance.  This can be done by sending an email to [email protected].

Is the Clinic a Law firm?

No. Neither the Legal Clinic nor UPF institutionally provide any type of professional legal advice or representation services in courts.  All the lawyers who collaborate with the Legal Clinic do so on an individual basis and in their personal capacity, including those who are part-time UPF professors.

Do I have to pay for advice from the Legal Clinic?

No. All the activities and services provided by the Legal Clinic are free of charge for all those individuals who meet the eligibility requirements.

In which languages can the Legal Clinic provide assistance?

The Legal Clinic is able to provide assistance in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German and Russian.

Who is eligible to receive legal advice from the Legal Clinic?

The Legal Clinic provides legal advice to people who belong to a vulnerable group and who cannot afford a lawyer.

What type of issues can be dealt with by the Legal Clinic?

The Legal Clinic has access to specialist practising lawyers and legal academics with expertise in all the main established fields of law. Nevertheless, given the Legal Clinic’s commitment to provide an excellent legal advice service there may be occasions when a particular issue falls outside of the scope of the Legal Clinic’s competence, for instance owning to a very unusual case subject matter.  In such instances it may not be possible for the Legal Clinic to provide advice if it is considered that it does not have sufficient expertise to maintain its high-quality level of advice.

Who will respond to a request for advice?

When a request for advice is received it will be reviewed by student volunteers.  They are tasked with initial assessments for eligibility of the individual and the type of case.  They will prepare an initial information report summarising the issues involved and this will be sent to a lawyer who will provide legal advice.  The students do not provide legal advice. 

How much time does it take to respond to a request for advice?

It depends on the complexity of the matter. The Legal Clinic aims to provide a determination on eligibility for support from the Legal Clinic within ten working days.

Which cases are accepted by the Legal Clinic for representation?

Eligibility for representation is determined by the Director and/or the members of the Academic Committee who will accept cases considered to have particular social and academic interest.  Additionally, those seeking representation must be unable to afford to instruct a lawyer themselves.

If the case is not accepted by the Legal Clinic for representation can legal advice still be provided?

Yes, legal advice can still be provided.  The only exception to this would be in the event that the Legal Clinic did not have at its disposal a professor or lawyer with expertise in the subject matter of the case.

Who is responsible for legal representation of mentored cases?

Individuals or groups whose cases are accepted for representation will be represented by a practising lawyer who agrees to take on the case. 

Who is responsible for the payment of any regulated court fees and disbursements?

Usually these costs will be the responsibility of the affected person. However, in cases where the affected person is unable to meet these costs the Legal Clinic can assist in identifying potential sources off financial support.  The Legal Clinic will not pay any regulated court fees or disbursements under any circumstances.

How are students wishing to focus their undergraduate thesis on the work of the Legal Clinic selected?

The Dean of the Faculty of Law will select students on the basis of the Director’s recommendation. The recommendation may be based either on students’ academic achievement (by reference to the average grade of the academic transcript) or a following a specific test regarding a particular case, as applicable.

When are students selected?

The selection procedure takes place in October.  If applicable,  the Director may convene a selection procedure at other times.

Are Legal Clinic based undergraduate theses different to other types of undergraduate theses?

Legal Clinic based undergraduate theses have exactly the same structure as other types of undergraduate theses and they also contain legal research. The only difference is that this research has to be focused on a particular case of the Legal Clinic.

Are the students who focus their undergraduate thesis on a particular case involved in work on the case?

Yes. A meeting is organised each term involving the person bringing the case, the assigned lawyer (who is responsible for the provision of legal advice and representation), the volunteer students (writing their undergraduate theses on the case), and the professors who supervising the undergraduate theses. Therefore, students have the opportunity to have direct contact with the affected person and their lawyer.

What should I do if I want to base my undergraduate thesis on a case in the Legal Clinic?

You should submit your application to the Legal Clinic Director during the call for applications.  Calls for applications are announced via email and you can apply by filling in the application form which will be provided in the email.

Can a UPF Masters student base their masters’ thesis on a case in the Legal Clinic?

Students who have previously submitted an undergraduate thesis based on a Legal Clinic case are also permitted to write their masters’ thesis on the case.  It is not currently possible to write a masters’ thesis based on a Legal Clinic case without this undergraduate level background.

inculat amb el cas. Actualment no és possible fer només el Treball Fi de Màster a la Clínica.

Who can become a volunteer?

All people over the age of 18  become volunteers in the Legal Clinic. There is no requirement that volunteers are lawyers or that they have a legal background.

Are all volunteer applications accepted?

The Legal Clinic aims to include all people who want to become a volunteer and assign each person to an appropriate task. Nevertheless, there will be some circumstances – for example due logistics and lack of space – where it is possible that some volunteering applications are unable to be accepted.

Who is in charge of acceptance of volunteers?

The Legal Clinic Director is in charge of acceptance of volunteers.

Is it compulsory to fulfil the commitment?

Yes. If the commitment cannot be fulfilled by the volunteer, this person would become an affiliate to the Clinic.

How long is a volunteer commitment?

The length of a volunteer commitment is expected to be a whole academic course, although in some specific cases a shorter duration may be permitted.

Can a person who does not live in Barcelona be a volunteer?

Only in exceptional circumstances can a person who does not live in Barcelona volunteer at the Legal Clinic. If a person moves abroad temporarily it is possible for them to change to affiliate status. 

What tasks do volunteers undertake?

Volunteers are assigned to a section of the Legal Clinic and actively participate in all tasks that enable the smooth running of the Legal Clinic. Task assignation depends on the skills of the volunteers and on the needs of the Legal Clinic. All volunteers receive free training regarding the tasks that they are to complete. Volunteers will not undertake tasks for which they have not been trained and/or which fall under the legal responsibility of a member of university staff. 

Do volunteers receive any payment?

No. The voluntary work is always undertaken for free, and for solidarity and altruistic reasons.

Are there additional benefits to volunteering?

Yes. Volunteers, separately and in addition to their assigned section have the opportunity to join as observers of one, or more, University Mentored Cases. The legal team of the case will provide updates to the observer volunteers about the proceeding and progress of the case.  Volunteers will also have the opportunity to participate in making commentary videos about the legal proceedings in addition to having access to anonymised case reports and judgements.  This gives volunteers the opportunity to follow the legal procedure in detail.

Additionally, all volunteers are invited to join all the activities organized by the Legal Clinic.  Volunteers will also receive a certificate of participation and/or a letter of recommendation regarding their work with the Legal Clinic.

What are the requirements for becoming a Legal Clinic Patron?

The requirements are the same as for affiliated people or organisations but also include a financial contribution (or commitment) towards the running expenses of the Legal Clinic.

Can Legal Clinic Patrons benefit from patronage tax incentives?

Yes. The donations made to the Legal Clinic are in legal terms donations to Pompeu Fabra University, and they fully benefit from the patronage tax incentives established by current regulation. The Legal Costs Sponsorship Programme cannot benefit from these incentives.

What expenses are covered by donations received?

Donations received cover all the regular costs of the Legal Clinic, unless the benefactor wishes to donate the money for a particular purpose.

What is the Legal Costs Sponsorship Programme?

The Legal Costs Sponsorship Programme involves a person or entity undertaking to meet any possible court order for the payment of court costs in one of the cases accepted by the Legal Clinic. This type of court order is generally made in the event of losing a lawsuit. In innovative and breakthrough cases such as those that the Legal Clinic wishes to support, the outcome is always uncertain and the affected person often has no economic capacity to undertake this risk. For more information about our Legal Costs Sponsorship Programme, please contact us at [email protected].

What is an affiliated person or organisation?

An affiliated person or organisation is a category for all people and organisations interested in the activities of the Legal Clinic and who express their commitment to human rights and social justice.

Who can affiliate to the Legal Clinic?

Any legal or natural person over the age of 18 years can affiliate to the Legal Clinic.

Are there any participation requirements for an affiliate?

No. Affiliation requires no specific participation.

What can an affiliate expect?

 Affiliates can expect to regularly receive information regarding the Legal Clinic’s activities.  Affiliates are also entitled to participate in the Permanent Seminar.

Is there any affiliation fee?

No. Affiliation is free of charge.

How does a person or entity affiliate to the Legal Clinic?

The person or entity wishing to affiliate to the Legal Clinic should send a completed and signed affiliation application form which can be downloaded here.

Is the Director entitled to deny an affiliation request?

Yes. If the principles of the applying person or entity are considered incompatible with the values of the Legal Clinic the Director may deny the application.

Is it possible to lose affiliated status?

Yes. If the person or entity engages in behaviour considered to be incompatible with the values of the Legal Clinic, the Director may remove the affiliated status.