United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) recently launched a new legal clinic under the auspices of the Deanship of the College of Law. The university is using this advisory clinic to offer legal advice and a consultancy service to both students and the local community free of charge.

The Dean of the College of Law, Dr. Mohammed Hassan Ali, stressed that the launch of this legal clinic is part of His Excellency, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan’s vision. As Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and also the university Chancellor, His Excellency is keen to provide high quality services to the local community. This is in line with UAEU’s vision of providing leadership and also promoting excellence in higher education and scientific research on both a regional and global level. Such services also help to strengthen the university’s role in transferring knowledge and skills to the community.

Dr. Mohammed Hassan Ali went on to highlight that the establishment of such legal clinics is common in law schools throughout the world. This provides a free advisory service to the community and is one of the main objectives of UAEU. The legal clinic serves as a center of excellence for both legal education and community service, as it is first and foremost concerned with teaching students in dealing with real life issues where they can offer legal advice under the supervision of the law faculty.

The Assistant Dean for Professional Development in the College of Law, Dr. Abdullah Al Khatib, who serves as the supervisor of the legal clinic, enumerated the various services provided by the clinic. This includes the provision of legal advice by students to clients. The law students are assisted in reviewing and drafting their advice by faculty members. The legal clinic also trains students in how to prepare drafted notes, legal papers and contracts or agreements regarding friendly settlements or legal problems. This all prepares future graduates to be leaders in their field.
Dr. Al-Khatib further added that the legal clinic does not supply legal opinions on matters of belief or worship. Their advice is limited to family relationships and transactions. Prospective clients can contact the clinic’s supervisory committee by telephone, or email, to schedule an appointment.