Students to help litigants in person

A pilot scheme to pair law students with litigants in person (LiPs), devised by a working group led by District Judge Cope and Judge Wildblood, is due to go live in Bristol on 16 January.

The scheme, which may be rolled out nationally if the pilot is successful, will be run by three local universities and assisted by the Bristol branch of the Personal Support Unit, a charity that offers practical and emotional but not legal help to people who cannot afford a lawyer.

Students from each of the universities will guide LiPs through the court process in family and civil cases. The student will, for example, show the litigant the court room and where each person will sit.

Robin Denford, Advocate, Bristol City Council, who is a member of the working group, said the group has prepared a script that students can use as a basis for guidance. The script will explain how to order and present documents so as to avoid duplication and irrelevancy, what to include in witness statements, and what the judge’s directions in court actually mean. The students will also outline the process of a hearing—when to speak, what to say and the importance of listening to the witnesses, opposing side and judge, and of focusing on issues identified by the judge.

The universities have also produced a booklet explaining common technical terms such as “party” and “witness statement”, the court process and the roles of everyone from the judge to the usher.

The working group is now considering how the role of students could be further expanded. Future projects could include telephone hearings and LiPs who have partial representation under an “unbundled” service, where the lawyer provides legal assistance on some areas only and the client handles the rest.