A group of law graduates looking to set up their own legal advice clinic have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the money to fund it.

Volunteers at the new Horizon Legal Advice Clinic will provide both general advice sessions focusing on social welfare areas of law and specialised advice sessions focusing on Personal Independence Payment, the successor to Disability Living Allowance.

The group, who are mostly paralegals, has secured premises in Mansfield House, Putney and registered the organisation as a charity. It hopes to launch the clinic in summer 2016.

Arvin Narendra, the head of welfare at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, is to act as a supervisor on a pro bono basis.

The crowdfunding campaign is to raise funds towards the running of the clinic once launched, such as data managements systems, training of volunteers, office supplies and legal resources.

Bernard Mustafa, one of the paralegals co-ordinating the project, told Lawyer 2B: “There is a clear need for more legal advice clinics. A recent report by LawWorks shows that over 43,000 queries were received by the Clinics Network in the year ending 31 March 2015 – that’s a 55 per cent increase on the previous year.” 

“As recent law graduates we’re as passionate as anyone about access to justice and this is our way of helping out.” 

“We’ve been encouraged by the generosity that the legal profession showed to other charitable initiatives in the last year and hope that lawyers will be equally supportive of our plans.”

You can make a contribution to the campaign here.