Purpose and goals
The main purpose of the project is to increase the employability of students of the Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Study of Law and Undergraduate Professional Study Programme in Administration Studies of the Faculty of Law in Rijeka by enabling the acquisition of practical skills and competencies for work.
This purpose will be achieved through two goals:
- establishing a new model of professional practice by providing free primary legal aid, and
- by improving the quality and strengthening the existing models of professional practice.
Within the first goal, a Center for Free Primary Legal Aid – a Legal Clinic will be established, in which students will perform professional practice by providing free primary legal aid under the supervision of a teacher-mentor in accordance with the Free Legal Aid Act. Professional practice that includes direct contact with clients will enable students to improve the practical skills and competencies necessary for the future professional work. By applying legal institutes and regulations to a specific factual situation, students will develop independence and responsibility and learn through work (work-based learning). The benefit is also manifested in connecting students with employers, which will increase their employability and facilitate the transition to the world of work. There is also a wider social benefit because free primary legal aid will be provided to the most socially and economically vulnerable categories of citizens. Free primary legal aid will be provided to beneficiaries in the two counties (Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria) through mobile teams.
The second goal is to improve the quality and increase the representation of existing models of professional practice. Namely, it is necessary to improve the quality of the so-called clinical subjects in the Integrated Study by increasing the share of fieldwork and simulated trials and increase the number of students involved. Also, it is necessary to encourage student participation in domestic and international moot court competitions, with appropriate mentoring support. Furthermore, the compulsory courses “Legal Research” and “Professional Practice”, which are taught in the last semester of the Integrated and Administrative Studies, need to be improved by strengthening the practical component of research in Croatian and European legal practice. A Professional Practice Service will also be established in order to provide support to students and direct them to appropriate models of professional practice.
Lead beneficiary: University in Rijeka, Faculty of Law Photo by: Stjepan Gržančić
