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Law students support legal aid with COVID-19-related issues
Law students from a Queensland university have been offering much-needed assistance to legal services across Brisbane as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through the state.
Naomi Neilson
Undergraduates with the University of Queensland (UQ) have been completing their legal education placements through the university’s pro bono centre, where they are practicing and offering legal advice to some of society’s most marginalised and vulnerable groups.
“In addition to building confidence in our legal skills, perhaps the most valuable learning has been acquiring an understanding of significant socio-legal issues facing Indigenous populations within the legal sector,” said fifth-year student, Ms Kuylaars.
She added the experience with YFS Legal has inspired her to be a better lawyer to ensure Indigenous Australians are “adequately represented in the law”.
Sixth-year student Mr Maitra said they have been unable to attend trials and to physically be in the court system due to COVID-19, but the dedication of supervisors has helped.
“We have used this opportunity to contribute to meaningful tasks including the preparation of sentencing submissions accounting for COVID-19 and learning to draft submissions to police and to the courts,” Mr Maitra said, adding the research has enabled both students to appreciate the serious risks posed by COVID-19 to vulnerable prisoners.
Among their achievements from working with YFS Legal was in contributing their research to achieve a successful bail application for a young person arguing impacts of the COVID outbreak on the environment and processes in a detention centre.
UQ Pro Bono Centre director Monica Taylor said she was proud of the students for going the extra mile to help community legal centres and their clients during the pandemic.
“Under these difficult circumstances, clinics have had to adapt very quickly, while students are also constantly adapting,” Ms Taylor said. “Our students are an asset to the achool, the Pro Bono Centre and the clinics they service.”
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Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at:
