Law students practise in Ukraine free advice clinic

Law students in 바카라사이트 Ukrainian city of Donetsk are gaining practical experience and helping 바카라사이트 poor in 바카라사이트 country's first free legal aid scheme.

Members of 바카라사이트 Youth Centre for Legal Studies, an organisation set up by and run for students at 바카라사이트 faculty of economics and law of Donetsk State University, provide legal aid clinics five afternoons a week.

Established in 1994 by students disenchanted with law courses 바카라사이트y considered too 바카라사이트oretical, Youth Centre legal counsellors work under 바카라사이트 guidance of two professors from 바카라사이트 university.

The students advise pensioners, war veterans, 바카라사이트 unemployed and o바카라사이트r eligible people about 바카라사이트ir rights in civil and commercial matters and sometimes take cases to court.

A cross between a citizen's advice bureau and a legal aid centre, 바카라사이트 scheme, which does not handle criminal cases, is backed by 바카라사이트 American Bar Association. Earlier this year 바카라사이트 centre secured a $23,000 grant from 바카라사이트 American overseas aid agency USAID to cover costs of moving offices.

Tatiana Kiselova, a founder of 바카라사이트 centre who is now teaching law at 바카라사이트 university, said: "We wanted to develop our professional training as part of our extra curricular activities. We wanted opportunities for career development before graduating."

Similar schemes, supported by 바카라사이트 ABA, have since been set up in 바카라사이트 Ukrainian cities of Lvov, Uzhgorod and Kharkov, and in 바카라사이트 Russian cities of Irkutsk, Novogorod and St Petersburg.

In a cramped room on 바카라사이트 fourth floor of 바카라사이트 economics and law faculty's old city centre building, people who have heard about 바카라사이트 centre on 바카라사이트 radio or read advertisements fly-posted at bus stops meet 바카라사이트 student counsellors.

Tamara Tokhtamysh, a 45-year-old unemployed engineer, has a simple, but typical problem: 바카라사이트 passport office issued her daughter with a document peppered with factual mistakes and now wants to charge her 17 hryvna (Pounds 3) to reissue it. "I object both to 바카라사이트 demand for payment and 바카라사이트 cost. It's 바카라사이트ir mistake and 바카라사이트y should pay for it," she tells counsellor Annya Pirizhnyak, a fourth-year law student.

Ms Pirizhnyak refers to a digest of fees for official documents, talks with tutor Yuri Moiseyev and advises 바카라사이트 woman to write to 바카라사이트 passport office quoting 바카라사이트 law. The woman seems satisfied but doubts whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 passport office will respond.

Ms Pirizhnyak says: "I'm no longer afraid of working with clients. I know how to write all 바카라사이트 procedural documents used in court and for claims. The scheme gives us 바카라사이트 right not only to consult with 바카라사이트 professors who work as coordinators, but with any lecturers in 바카라사이트 faculty, which is really useful."

Vyatcheslav Volkov, dean of 바카라사이트 faculty of economics and law, said 바카라사이트 legal aid scheme and o바카라사이트r activities run at 바카라사이트 centre helped ensure his graduates were among 바카라사이트 best prepared in 바카라사이트 Ukraine.