Phone No.: 7795150647 |
Email ID: legalaid@sjcl.edu.in
LEGAL AID CELL
Legal Services Clinic
Legal Aid
The Legal Aid Cell of St. Joseph's College of Law, which runs the College's Legal Services Clinic, is where students' legal education meets the needs of the community. Inspired by the Jesuit commitment to justice and to forming men and women for others, the Cell works to make the promise of equal justice real for people who cannot easily access the legal system: the poor, women and children, migrant and informal workers, prisoners and their families, and residents of urban settlements and rural communities.
The Cell draws its mandate from Article 39A of the Constitution of India, which directs the State to secure equal justice and free legal aid, and from the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. In keeping with the Bar Council of India's requirement that every law college run a legal aid clinic, the Cell gives students a structured opportunity to apply their learning in service of society, under the guidance of faculty members.
Article 39A, Constitution of India
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
Bar Council of India Mandate
Our Vision
To build a just and egalitarian society in which every person knows their rights and can access justice, regardless of their economic or social circumstances.
What Drives Us
Objectives
01
To spread legal literacy and awareness of rights, duties and remedies among marginalised and vulnerable communities.
02
To help people access free legal services by guiding and referring them to the appropriate Legal Services Authorities, institutions and organisations.
03
To work with NGOs, civil society organisations and sister institutions on sustained programmes for access to justice.
04
To sensitise students to the social realities in which law operates, and to nurture in them a lifelong commitment to pro bono service.
05
To develop students' practical skills in communication, client interaction, field research and community engagement.
Our Work
What the Legal Aid Cell Does
Legal Awareness Programmes
Students and faculty conduct legal awareness programmes in schools, colleges, urban settlements and rural communities on subjects that matter to the audience, such as child protection and the POCSO Act, cyber safety and online scams, women's rights, constitutional rights and the right to free legal aid. Programmes use talks, interactive sessions, skits, street plays and dance dramas to make the law accessible.
Surveys and Field Work
The Cell undertakes surveys and needs assessments in communities, such as the survey and legal awareness initiative at the Cox Town settlement and the assessment of the educational needs of children of undertrial prisoners, so that its work responds to real needs.
Health Camps and Community Outreach
Recognising that access to justice is linked to access to basic services, the Cell organises health camps alongside legal awareness programmes, including for migrant workers and for women in rural communities.
Advocacy and Publications
With its partners, the Cell produces material that raises public awareness, including the newsletter "Nyaaya Sankalpa" and the street-play video "Nyaayakkagi Koogu", released with the Association of Prisoners' Families for Justice.
Observance of Legal Services Days
The Cell observes National Legal Services Day (9 November) and Constitution Week each year with performances and programmes that highlight the right to legal aid and the values of the Constitution.
Training and Capacity Building
Each year the Cell conducts an orientation for new student volunteers on the importance of legal aid and how the Cell works. It has also offered an online certificate course on the Fundamentals of Law (December 2021 to February 2022) to make basic legal knowledge available to a wider audience.
Collaborations
Our Partners
Association of Prisoners' Families for Justice (APFJ)
Support for prisoners' families: awareness camps, needs assessment for children of undertrial prisoners, the "Nyaaya Sankalpa" newsletter and the "Nyaayakkagi Koogu" street-play video.
Loyola Vikas Kendra, Mundgod
State Level Workshop on Child Protection and Child Safety Measures; outreach in Mundgod.
LCSC-Manvi
Health camp and Migration Watch programme for migrant workers at Nagavara.
Loyola Educational Institutions, Manvi (Raichur)
Field visit and engagement by the Legal Aid Committee.
Law and Gender Committee, SJCL
Joint legal aid camp on awareness of the POCSO Act.
Milestones
Recent Activities
-
13 May 2026
Legal Awareness Programme, Loyola Degree College
Programme for nearly 160 students on cyber safety, the risks of online gaming scams, cyber bullying and online harassment, and the legal remedies available against cyber offences.
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2025–26
Survey and Legal Awareness Initiative, Cox Town
Survey of residents of an urban settlement, combined with legal awareness.
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2025–26
State Level Workshop on Child Protection and Child Safety Measures
Organised in collaboration with Loyola Vikas Kendra, Mundgod.
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26 Sep 2025
Legal Awareness Programme on POCSO, St. Mary's Girls High School
Awareness programme on child protection attended by nearly 650 students.
-
12 Dec 2024
Release of "Nyaayakkagi Koogu"
Street-play video released with APFJ.
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29 Nov 2024
Constitution Week
Dance drama and skit by student coordinators.
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20 Nov 2024
Release of "Nyaaya Sankalpa"
Newsletter released with APFJ at the Press Club, Bengaluru.
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15 Nov 2024
Legal Awareness Camp, Banashankari
Camp at an urban settlement, held with APFJ.
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9 Nov 2024
National Legal Services Day
Skit by student coordinators and volunteers in the College quadrangle on the importance of legal aid for marginalised communities.
-
10 Oct 2024
Legal Aid Cell Orientation
Orientation for students on the importance of legal aid and the work of the Cell.
-
16 Jun 2024
Health Camp and Migration Watch Programme, Nagavara
Health camp and programme for migrant workers, organised by the legal services clinic with LCSC-Manvi.
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15 May 2024
Women's Day Celebration and Awareness Programme, Mundgod
Celebration and legal awareness programme for women, organised by the legal services clinic.
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18–19 Nov 2023
Visit to Loyola Educational Institutions, Manvi
Field visit by the Legal Aid Committee to Manvi, Raichur district.
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2022
Walkathon and Legal Awareness Camp
Walkathon from Lalbagh Main Gate to K.S. Garden to spread awareness of the right to free legal aid, followed by an awareness camp.
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Dec 2021 – Feb 2022
Online Certificate Course on the Fundamentals of Law
Course offered by the Legal Aid Cell.
Reports and photographs of all activities are available under News & Events.
Get Involved
All students of the College are welcome to volunteer with the Legal Aid Cell. Volunteers take part in awareness programmes, surveys, outreach and campaigns, and gain experience that complements their internships, including internships with District Legal Services Authorities. Students interested in joining may contact the Cell or attend its annual orientation.
Need Free Legal Aid?
Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, free legal services are available to eligible persons, including:
Women and children
Members of SC / ST
Persons in custody
Persons with disabilities
Victims of disasters
Industrial workmen
Persons with limited income
Anyone seeking free legal aid may approach the nearest District Legal Services Authority or the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, or call the NALSA helpline. The SJCL Legal Services Clinic can help guide you to the right authority.
NALSA Helpline15100
Reach Us
Contact
Legal Services Clinic
St. Joseph's College of Law
Phone
77951 50647Address
Residency Road (F M Cariappa Road), Bengaluru – 560025