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Community Law Centres: Problems and Proposals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2009

Mike Stephens
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Abstract

The principal aim of law centres is to service the claims of poor and low income people in the field of social welfare law. Their successes and limitations in realising this aim constitute the major part of this paper. Levels of demand, the satisfaction of unmet legal needs and the role played by law centres in the spectrum of advice services are important factors in assessing their mission. No assessment can be complete, however, without taking into account the internal problems faced by law centres—such as, funding, caseload levels, and rationing procedures. This paper argues that the formation of a national network of law centres would help to solve many of their operational difficulties and to position them more effectively within the spectrum of legal advice services.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , January 1993 , pp. 49 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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