The University of Luxembourg announced on Wednesday that members of the public looking to settle consumer rights disputes are able to submit their case to a new online platform and receive free assistance from law Master students.
The Consumer Law Clinic (known as the "Clinique du droit" in French) was founded in March 2015 by Professor Elise Poillot at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance as part of the Master in European Private Law study programme. As part of their Master studies, students assist clients of the clinic in analysing their consumer rights dispute before recommending the steps to be taken. Cases can be submitted by any member of the general public, so long as they fall under Luxembourg consumer law and are based on claims of less than €5,000.
In return, students are able to benefit from hands-on experience with real-life cases, receiving both thorough training in consumer law and coaching in the contact with clients, adding to the practical dimension of teaching.
The Consumer Law Clinic is carried out with the support of the Luxembourg bar association. As students of the clinic cannot act as official legal representatives, clients are recommended to contact a lawyer, the Luxembourg consumer union (ULC) or a mediator in the event that the case requires proper legal representation.
Interested members of the public can outline their dispute on a new online platform, as well as upload any supporting documentation. This in turn will be processed by a member of the clinic and forwarded to the students as a case study. If needed, the clinic will contact clients for an interview. The service is offered for free. Whilst the working language of the clinic is French, cases can also be uploaded in German and English.
"The clinical programme encourages team building, promotes social justice and gives confidence to students who can finally apply their theoretical legal knowledge to concrete cases," Professor Poillot commented, adding: "It is a great experience from a pedagogical, scientific and human perspective."
"Taking part in the Consumer Law Clinic was a very rewarding experience," Master in European Private Law student Ines De Cillia remarked. "Through the clinic I learned not only to apply my theoretical knowledge in practice but also to manage situations with clients that were sometimes delicate and difficult. The clinic allowed me to make the link between university and professional life."
Photo by University of Luxembourg
