In today’s society, access to legal aid is extremely limited, whilst advice needs are rapidly increasing. This creates a void in legal services, particularly in areas such as welfare, debt and housing. The Community Legal Helpdesk aims to address some of this unmet legal need and to provide a starting point for people who don’t know where to go for legal help and advice.

The Helpdesk is based primarily at Exeter County Court, where law students offer a free, impartial and confidential information triage and signposting service to members of the public who are involved in legal disputes. The Helpdesk also aims to raise awareness of the alternatives to court proceedings, by providing clients with information on the whole range of possible courses of action available to them.

The students who are involved in this activity receive ongoing training, which covers a wide range of topics including mediation, legal letter-writing, client interviewing and legal aid, as well as factual sessions looking at civil court procedures. This training is delivered by a number of external organisations, including law firms and the Citizens Advice Bureau.