World Monitor Mag WM_June 2018 web | Page 86

Social responsibility

KIMEP legal clinic

Free clinical legal aid includes typical help for students assisted by the law faculty with research , drafting legal arguments , and meeting with clients . Therefore , it presents major challenges to any organizer , requiring a significant amount of consistent work with tens of thousands of dollars of investment throughout its existence .
Legal Clinic ( LC ) at KIMEP was been founded five years ago and functions throughout every academic year . The clinical education is a part of the Law School curriculum , and we intend to have the Clinic working for the duration of the Law School existence at KIMEP .
Initially , KIMEP invested facilities for LC , computers , phones , etc , designed with special software for LC , as well as sending its faculty to study foreign experience , hire additional staff and appoint Legal Clinic Directors . Approximately , the initial investment was USD 40 000 .
The Legal Clinic Director is a faculty member who receives course-teaching relief for working at LC every year . Additionally , all Law School faculty members help with the supervision of students ’ work .
It took KIMEP around two years to have the project fully working and three years to include clinical education in its law curriculum .
Number of employees :
* 2 dedicated faculty members * all law faculty members assisting students in their consultations * at least 40 students who have their academic
internship in the Legal Clinic every academic year * more than 10 outside consultants
The Kazakhstan Bar Association agreed three years ago to conduct its pro bono program ' Courtroom ' through the Kimep Legal Clinic . It is the program initiated by the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan to help Kazakhstani people to pursue education in law and register their claims electronically with Kazakhstan ’ s courts .
The KIMEP Legal Clinic has met and is meeting its academic and social objectives . As a result of its work , KIMEP law students benefit from the program as well as the local community .
International experience points out the positive impact of pro bono ( free legal aid ) services on the overall development of the legal system in the country . Introduction of such services in the Republic of Kazakhstan helps enhancing citizens ’ access to the legal system , reduce social tension , increase legal responsibility and legal literacy .
This practice also raises social responsibility of future lawyers . Moreover , introduction of progressive international experience contributes to further modernization of Kazakhstani legal system .
In cooperation with Pravmedia ( a project of www . zakon . kz ), the KIMEP Legal Clinic also started online consultations .
In 2017-2018 , KIMEP consulted 47 people ( 132 cases ) on an individual basis and 128 people online . Overall 175 people in 2017- 2018 used the services of the Legal Clinic . Those clients included victims of domestic abuse , sexual assault , social aid applicants , small sized businesses , and others .
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