The Joondalup Community Legal Centre provides an opportunity for students to gain practical experience in a real-world professional environment
Joondalup Community Legal Centre
The Joondalup Community Legal Centre (JCLC) is a joint initiative of ECU and the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre (NSCLC).
The JCLC office is located in a section of the Chancellery Building on the ECU Joondalup Campus and aims to:
- Make the law accessible to the communities of the northern suburbs, and
- Provide an opportunity for law and criminology students to gain, under supervision, experience and practical skills in the legal field and reach out to local communities.
- The NSCLC (incorporating the Joondalup Community Legal Centre) provides low-cost or free legal services to disadvantaged members of the community.
The Centre is staffed by qualified legal practitioners, paralegals, social workers and administrative staff.
The JCLC office provides legal information and advice for the community in the areas of family law, tenancy law, criminal law, domestic violence and some areas of civil law including elder abuse. It provides an opportunity for students to gain practical experience in a real-world professional environment and it is a valuable service to the community.
An integral part of the partnership between the Centre and the School of Law and Justice has been the creation of a new law elective unit, Community Legal Practice. The relationship with the Centre allows students to gain hands-on practical legal training, under supervision, acquiring a range of skills.
Students learn to interview, research and prepare court documents, and become involved in counselling, mediation and related maters. This long-term collaboration enhances professional practice and community capacity building and significantly contributes to building a reputation for academic outreach with high community impact.
Key ECU Staff
Professor Mark Stoney, Rupert Johnson.
Engagement Partners
Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre, Joondalup Community Legal Centre.