Since September 2001, EPL law clinic is based on the two levels system of education. On the first level students receive practical skills of the lawyer work. On the second level students, which already passed the first level, consult clients and teach students of the first level. Thus, we reach the continuous process of education and provision of free of charge legal assistance to citizens.
During 2002 students of EPL law clinic achieved the following results:
- During the clinical program students started or continued cases. Under supervision of lawyers students took part in 38 cases. They prepared and sent requests, petitions and complaints to national, central and local authorities, Ombudsman of Ukraine, etc. Students participated in the meetings with citizens, which asked for help at EPL, went to review and asses the situation in the place. Students took part in the court hearings as the citizens’ representatives. As a result, we won 9 cases.
- We analyzed the previous work on cases, and gave methodical guidelines to the clinical program participants.
- We taught students the basics of advocacy in the sphere of the protection of environmental rights of citizens. We provided education in two directions: (1) weekly workshops for students on Wednesdays (3:30 pm – 5:00 pm), and (2) individual education during the work process “lawyer-student”. We discussed issues of public interest law, mediation, activities of international institutions in the sphere of human rights protection, etc.
- Education of students of particularities of work in public sphere. We had discussions on the civil society, lawyer’s work with lower-income people to give them assistance on protection their rights and freedoms. We provided education in three directions: (1) discussion of the above mentioned issues on weekly workshops; (2) students’ observation on the lawyers’ work with citizens, and (3) independent activity of student under supervision of lawyers. For weekly workshops we invited Oregon University law professors Mike Exline, Joan Malmud and John Bonine, which are working on public interest advocacy and clinical programs in USA.
- We continued to introduce students into the law-drafting issues. Students made proposals concerning elimination of gaps in the national and local legislation under supervision of experienced lawyers.
- Students continued to study the work of public authorities, courts, prosecutor’s office form the point of view of the protection of environmental rights of citizens.
- Students continued to improve their practical skills to work with Office programs, electronic communication and Internet. We organized for students workshops on informational technologies – use of Office programs, search and use of information in Internet.
- In August, students of the second level of the clinical program (Sofia Vankovych and Natalia Balushka) visited the Law Faculty of Oregon University (USA) within the Oregon-Lviv universities partnership. They successfully passed the training on mediation.
- Three students of the clinical program (Sofia Vankovych, Natalia Balushka and Olga Melen) started to work at EPL as lawyers.
- The clinical program participant Oksana Bilobran started to work as a Coordinator of the project “Kyiv-2003” of the Ukrainian NGO “MAMA-86”.
