Trinity Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) is Trinity’s branch of the national organisation Free Legal Advice Centres. This small society had been overwhelmingly active on campus with panels, campaigns and speakers hosted almost every week. Last term’s compelling and successful Sleep Out with the Trinity College Dublin’s Students’ Union (TCDSU) in aid of the Peter McVerry Trust is proof of this. However, Trinity FLAC is continuing their activism right through the academic year. Every Tuesday at 7pm in the Atrium they hold their legal clinics, where Trinity staff and students can come and avail of free legal advice.
Speaking to The University Times, the chair of Trinity FLAC, Kate Heffernan, explains that “we do a lot more than just run our free legal advice clinics”. In addition to their clinics, they also run numerous campaigns throughout the year. Commenting on how Trinity FLAC is different to other law-based societies on campus, Heffernan highlighted that “we’re a human rights organisation”. Their campaigns are varied, including topics such as housing rights, homelessness, disability rights and travellers’ rights. This year, they’ve reintroduced political lobbying into the work of the society. The group are currently campaigning on the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), as Ireland is the only EU member state which has not ratified the convention. Their campaign hopes to ensure that legislation is passed in favour of this and ratifies the convention. Trinity FLAC’s committee have put together a message that students can send onto their TDs to help their cause gain momentum.
Working with community workers, they examine the legal barriers that travellers face and at the end of the year will publish research projects on these topics
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Trinity FLAC also produce numerous student research projects. They’re currently working with Pavee Point to address travellers’ rights and the law. Working with community workers, they examine the legal barriers that travellers face and at the end of the year will publish research projects on these topics. Trinity FLAC’s interest in human rights is wide-reaching, as the society are hosting a panel on tackling sexual exploitation in Ireland on February 15th. Their three speakers will be discussing human trafficking, prostitution and the pornography industry.
It is easy to get involved in Trinity FLAC, as volunteers for their research projects are always welcome. In addition, the society are currently running an internal moot court competition with Mercy Law Resource Centre. This organisation is concerned with homeless people and those who are at risk of losing their homes. For the competition, they are providing material about different legal issues that these people face. The memorials that students offer are forwarded onto these NGOs and then used in their policy work. The winners of this competition also get to avail of an internship with the organisation.
Heffernan herself got involved in Trinity FLAC through her “strong interest in social justice and human rights issues and that was something that drew me towards studying law”. The society undoubtedly provides an environment in which contemporary social issues may be explored, students like Heffernan defining it a “really good” choice of “outlet for campaigning or activism”.
With such a small society being so visibly active, Heffernan acknowledges the misconception that Trinity FLAC solely runs advice clinics
Trinity FLAC have done a lot of work on the matter of students’ rights, these comprising a “massive part of our work”, most noticeably with their “Know Your Rights” booklet which first-years received at the beginning of the year. “It has a lot of really useful advice on landlord and tenant law, employment law, and other legal issues that students might face”. This is undoubtedly important as Heffernan notes that “this is the first time you’d encounter these issues and it’s really helpful to have a society like Trinity FLAC that provides this advice and support for free”.
With such a small society being so visibly active, Heffernan acknowledges the misconception that Trinity FLAC solely runs advice clinics. However, it is evident from the group’s determination and genuine interest in human rights that this society far exceeds that. Having won Best Overall Society at last year’s Central Societies Commission (CSC) Awards, they have maintained their high level of activism and campaigning. The society provides a place for students to engage with activism and human rights in a very accessible way, proving their work to be an undeniably important service on campus.
