Students take law to the beach

Monday 8 January 2007

Students from the University of Newcastle Legal Centre will offer beachgoers free legal advice again this summer thanks to an innovative program.

The Law on the Beach legal advice clinic will be set up in the Club Room at the Newcastle Beach Surf Club Pavilion.

Last year students helped a person with a disability who had fallen for a sales pitch and was locked into a contract for a phone he could not use.

The Legal Centre's Director Shaun McCarthy said the Law on the Beach program provided a unique and valued opportunity for students to apply their studies to actual legal practice.

"Students supervised by the Legal Centre's lawyers will provide advice on a range of matters including everything from neighbourhood disputes to debt matters and family law issues," said Shaun.

"By offering free advice at the beach, we are trying to target young people by taking the law to them.

"Young people can often face difficulties in their schooling, housing and financial support, and unfortunately may not get advice until it's too late."

Law on the Beach is annual program and just one of the avenues through which the University of Newcastle Legal Centre provides free legal advice and assistance to members to the community.

Law on the Beach will run from 10am to 3pm on Wednesday 10, 17, 24 and 31 January and Wednesday 7 February 2007 at the Club Room at the southern end of the pavilion Newcastle Beach Surf Club Pavilion, Newcastle Beach. Appointments are not necessary. People can simply drop in.

For interviews Shaun McCarthy, University of Newcastle Legal Centre Director,
on 02 4921 8813.