Mechanisms for interaction between legal clinics and governmental bodies: legal, organizational and ethical issues

Practice shows that a legal clinic is the most effective element of practical-oriented education in a law school today. Despite the introduction of project activities into curricula, the development of cooperation programs with employers, the harmonization of curricula and teaching materials with employers’ representatives, it is the possibilities of clinical education that enable future lawyers to acquire practical skills even before graduation. Nevertheless, some distance of clinics from employers' practice bases and sites does not allow full benefit of clinical training. Purpose: to examine possible mechanisms for interaction between legal clinics and governmental bodies, primarily courts. Methods: the national and world experience of legal clinics is studied, the level of legislative regulation of their activities and the degree of their involvement in national systems of free legal aid are determined by applying comparative legal, specific legal methods, analysis and synthesis. Results: the author substantiates that the program of clinics should include measures to provide free legal assistance to the public at employers' venues. The opinion is expressed that such work can contribute to the involvement of students in the practice of judicial representation of clients' interests, as the most professional element of free legal aid. The article identifies possible ethical and organizational problems that may arise in the implementation of such interaction, and suggests ways to overcome them on the example of the activities of the legal clinic of the Novgorod State University.