Clinical Legal Education:  The Role and Challenges in Enhancing Access to Justice

Nadia  Rusi; Ilda  Kovaçi Melo

doi:10.36941/jesr-2025-0016

Authors

Nadia Rusi Prof. Assoc. Lecturer, Public Department, Faculty of Law, Tirana University, Tirana, Albania
Ilda Kovaçi Melo Prof. Assoc. Lecturer, Civil Department, Faculty of Law, Tirana University, Tirana, Albania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2025-0016

Keywords:

legal aid, legal clinic, access to justice, clinical legal education, vulnerable groups

Abstract

This paper explores the critical role of clinical legal education in enhancing access to justice by providing free legal aid through university-based legal clinics. It emphasizes the support these clinics offer to marginalized and vulnerable groups while highlighting the challenges they face, including limited resources, undefined legal status, and insufficient institutional support. The research examines the dual benefits of clinical legal education: improving legal outcomes for underserved communities and equipping law students with practical skills and professional ethics. Drawing on international best practices, the study provides actionable recommendations to strengthen legal clinics, such as increasing financial and infrastructural support, formalizing their legal status, integrating technology to expand access to services, and fostering partnerships with state institutions, NGOs, and international networks. These recommendations aim to enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of legal clinics, better align them with broader legal aid frameworks, and reinforce their role in promoting social justice and legal education.

Received: 22 October 2024 / Accepted: 31 December 2024 / Published: 05 January 2025