Free legal assistance is available to you
Access to legal help can be difficult, if not impossible for many people. If you live in Essex or are a student or staff member at the University of Essex, the Law Clinic may be able to support you with our free legal advice service.
You can receive assistance usually in the form of a written letter of advice, but also, where appropriate, forms of representation such as form filling, letter writing, and help with limited forms of legal action can be provided.
Advice is usually given in the form of a letter no later than four weeks after an initial interview, but in urgent cases and where possible, advice can be given on the spot and followed up with a confirmation letter.
There are a number of areas you can use our service for, including family, housing, immigration, and social welfare benefits (to name a few). However, we may also take on cases in other areas of law where our external partnerships allow.
In order to see if we can help you, please email us at elawclinic@essex.ac.uk or telephone (+44) 01206 874429. If we're not able to help you with your case, we'll provide you with information about other available services or suggest you consult a lawyer.
Please note: We are now closed and will remain so from 30 March 2026 through to the end of September 2026. We will then reassess our capacity to take on cases and notify the outcome here and on our website at that time. For a list of signposts during our closure, please email elawclinic@essex.ac.uk, and you will receive an automated response with information on other agencies that may be able to assist.
- Free professional legal help if you live in Essex
- Be confident in how to move forwards and take action
- Appointments via video, on campus, or at our outreach clinics
What our
clients are saying
How does it work?
The Clinic is based within the Essex Law School at the University of Essex. Students studying Law at Essex volunteer in the Law Clinic so that they're able to put their legal training into practice, by providing advice and guidance on legal issues to the local community. Our law students are highly trained, and professional, and are supervised by experienced legal practitioners who will ensure any advice and guidance you receive is lawful and accurate.
Before we're able to provide any legal assistance, you'll need to attend an interview so that we're able to ascertain your needs. These interviews are a safe space, where your needs will be listened to and understood. There are a few ways you can attend an interview. Interviews can be held via video conferencing, or at our professional law clinic at our Colchester Campus. You can also attend your interview at one of our outreach clinics around Colchester.
If you prefer to have your interview via video conference or at one of our outreach clinics, please email elawclinic@essex.ac.uk or call 01206 874429 and we can discuss your preferences when assessing whether we are able to help you and provide you with an appointment.
Campus Clinic
Interviews are usually held between 5.15- 7.15 pm on Wednesday evenings and are by appointment only. In exceptional cases, it may be possible to arrange an appointment outside these times. As assistance is provided by students, we operate mainly during the University term times from October to April, though there may also be limited, ad hoc availability over the May-June examination period and in September. If your matter is not urgent, a waitlist is available.
Outreach Clinics
Tendring Families First
Our partnership with Tendring Families First enables parents of children at various schools throughout the Tendring area to book an appointment to see Law Clinic advisors at their child’s school. To see when your child’s school next has appointments available, please email elawclinic@essex.ac.uk or telephone 01206 874429.
Next Chapter
Advice is available in family law by way of monthly outreach casework advice sessions through a collaboration with domestic abuse charity, Next Chapter. For more information about the availability of outreach work or the further development of this, please email elawclinic@essex.ac.uk or telephone 01206 874429.
NHS Ipswich
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“I can't thank you enough for all the support you have given me when I was on my lowest point. I’m forever grateful to all of you for going an extra mile when I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. Me and my boys can look forward to each day now.”
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