Legal Aid Clinic

Legal Aid Clinic

With the very spirit of humanism and commitment to the tenets of justice and rule of law, Dayanand College of Law has established the Legal Aid Clinic which is extremely instrumental in sensitizing the students to the cause of the indigent thereby inculcating a spirit of social responsibility within them. The Clinic strives to ensure that the constitutional pledge is fulfilled in the letter and spirit and equal justice is made available to the poor, downtrodden and weaker sections of the society.

The clinic which had been running in a very informal way, was crystallized and consolidated into a systematic Legal Aid Clinic in 2011, functioning in collaboration with the District Legal Service Authority, Latur, which was inaugurated by Shri. K.P.Joshi, the Principal District and sessions Judge, Latur. The Clinic works closely with the District Legal Service Authority in providing them the services of the students and staff. It provides the students exposure to settlement of cases, holding Lok Adalats and training them as para Legal volunteers. The service of the faculty are also provided as members of the judge panel during the Maha Lok Adalat held by the District Legal Service Authority and also as Resource Persons in their training Programmes.

The Legal Aid Clinic is manned by Para Legal Volunteers (Law Students) with sense of commitment, sensibility and sensitiveness to the problems of the common people who are being selected by the Faculty-in-charge of the Clinic.

The Legal Aid Clinic is more effectively functioning in outreach programmes. The Clinic is proved to be one of the best methods of learning experience by transmitting the theoretical knowledge from lab to land. The Clinic is a dynamic tool of learning, through which, the students learn the techniques of interviewing, interaction, eliciting the relevant information from the Client and to suggest possible remedies and the alternatives. The Clinic also enables the students to learn drafting notices, complaints, petitions and in turn it helps the students to be socially responsive and committed.

Objectives

1. To provide legal services to the poor and weaker sections of the Society.
2. To provide inexpensive local machinery for handling legal services of basic nature like legal advices, drafting petitions, notices, replies and other documents of legal importance.
3. To resolve disputes of local people through meditation and conciliation and thereby preventing the disputes from reaching Courts.
4. To conduct surveys on contemporary socio legal issues.
5. To impart clinical education as part of practical training and also to imbibe the students to commit to social service to help the weaker sections of the society.

The Clinic organizes various outreach programmes such as legal aid camps, legal literacy programmes, gender sensitization programmes, human rights awareness programmes, Jail Visit, Lok Adalat Visit, Workshop in Collaboration with District Legal Service Authorities etc.

The Clinic functions on every second and fourth Saturday from 9.00am to 5.00pm of every month. 10 student volunteers are selected to provide legal advices under the guidance of Faculty-in-Charge. The Clinic maintains records and documents of various activities conducted by the Clinic including the list of seekers, the type of service rendered, particulars of para Legal Volunteers, the personnel’s from the Bar and all other related information.

Activity 2025 :-

Dayanand Law College, Latur

Report on Exposure Visit

On 25th September 2025, an exposure visit was conducted under the ‘Nirdhar Samantecha’ Project. The visit was organized in collaboration with ILS Law College, Pune and SWISSAID (co-funded by the European Union). The objective of the visit was to provide students with practical insights into the functioning of institutions working in the areas of social justice, women’s rights, and child welfare.

The team visited the following institutions in Latur:

1. (Sakhi) One Stop Centre (OSC)
2. Bharosa Cell,
3. SOS Balgram (Children’s Village India)

The visit proved to be highly enriching, offering students an understanding of the working mechanisms, objectives, and challenges faced by these institutions in addressing social issues and child protection.

1. One Stop Centre (OSC)

The visit highlighted the centre’s crucial role as a comprehensive support system for women affected by violence and abuse. It was observed that the centre provides legal, medical, psychological, and rehabilitation support under one roof, thereby ensuring victims receive timely and coordinated assistance.

The importance of trained staff, proper documentation, and empathetic counselling in restoring the confidence of victims was evident. Ms. Vandana Mundhe and Ms. Kanchan Kasle explained the working procedure of the OSC and also briefed about the functioning of the Women Helpline 181.

2. Bharosa Cell

The Bharosa Cell was observed as an essential intervention for immediate response in cases of domestic violence and abuse. The centre focuses on coordination between police, social workers, and legal aid providers to safeguard victims and ensure justice.

The visit emphasized the significance of prompt action, awareness generation, and community participation in strengthening such mechanisms. Mr. API B. N. Tidke provided detailed information about the structure and functioning of the Bharosa Cell.

3. SOS Balgram (Children’s Village India)

The exposure to SOS Children’s Village offered valuable insights into a holistic approach towards child care, protection, and development. Students witnessed the family-like environment created for orphaned and abandoned children, which emphasizes education, emotional well-being, and skill development.

The village demonstrated how structured care, affection, and individual attention can positively impact the growth and confidence of children in need. Ms. Babysaroj Pawar explained in detail the organizational structure and functioning of SOS Balgram.

This visit was organized and coordinated by:
Dr. Shubhangi Panchal
Asst. Prof. Shraddha Choudhary
Asst. Prof. Shamrao Patil
Asst. Prof. Omprakash Jadhav

Annual Reports