The Ateneo Legal Services Center (ALSC) is a public interest center that provides professional, developmental, and ethical legal service to the poor and disadvantaged through a competently supervised student practice and clinical legal education program.
Under the supervision of volunteer lawyers, law students assist in the handling of cases of indigent clients, and appear before trial courts under the Student Practice Rule. Students are provided with hands-on training through active participation in client interviews, consultations, research, preparation of court pleadings and motions, examination of witnesses, and trial advocacy. ALSC also supervises and monitors the Law School’s Apprenticeship Program, including the accreditation of participating law firms and government agencies, to ensure that the thrusts of the Law School are pursued in the training of the students.
Through the handling of ALSC cases, students are introduced to a concept of legal aid wherein the client is actively involved in decision-making and direction-setting, and where there is always an effort to empower and transfer legal technology to the client.
