Clinical Legal Education and Social Justice: Assessing the Impact on Law Students in a Law Clinic in Nigeria

Abstract

One of the core missions of clinical legal education is to expose students to the legal needs of society while enhancing access to justice for indigent members of the community. This, the University of Ibadan Women’s Law Clinic (UI-WLC) does by offering pro bono legal aid to indigent women in the community who lack access to justice. In the process, law students are engaged in clinic experiences involving interaction with real clients and conduct of outreach programs for different target audiences within the community. Through these experiences, it is expected that professionalism, empathy, equality and and a sense of fairness is inculcated in the students. Students trained with these values ideally have a strong sense of what is just and fair, and are able to choose careers and lifestyles that support their immediate communities. Since its establishment, the UI-WLC has groomed over 960 law students; and currently has about 120 students spread over third, fourth and fifth year students, however, an assessment of the impact of social justice values which the clinic seeks to impart to the students through the training they receive at the clinic has not been carried out. This research seeks to achieve this aim through a mixed methods approach. Using a quota sampling method, 90 law graduates were identified and interviewed through self- administered pre-tested questionnaires and in-depth interview guides. Two sessions of focus group discussions were also conducted. Findings in this study revealed how participation in the UI-WLC through various activities and programs has had both positive and negative outcomes for the students. It also showed an aspect of group dynamics which has to be improved upon at the UI-WLC to better equip students to impact the society.