1,881 students in England and Wales named on the inaugural Student CLE Recognition List after each providing 25+ hours of legal assistance through university clinics and programmes

1,881 law students from universities across England and Wales have been named on the Student Clinical Legal Education Recognition List, published today by the Clinical Legal Education Organisation (CLEO) and endorsed by the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, chaired by the Solicitor General.

Clinical legal education (CLE) refers to when students participate in delivering legal assistance, supervised by faculty lawyers or external volunteers. The new list recognises students who in the past academic year volunteered 25 hours or more through their law school clinic or programme to provide free legal advice or assistance to individuals, charities or community groups. This might include interviewing clients, legal research, drafting advice letters, or providing support at tribunals.

This is the first national scheme of its kind globally that specifically recognises law students’ contribution through CLE, whether undertaken within their course or extra-curricular. Most universities now engage in CLE by organising pro bono clinics, with 36 institutions from across England and Wales submitting student names for the inaugural recognition list.

Advice clinics at law schools and related programmes make a significant and lasting contribution to communities by providing free legal assistance and providing guidance on legal rights and responsibilities. Through their involvement students support access to justice, whilst also experiencing the law in action and gaining skills for their future careers.

The new student list is the sister initiative to the Pro Bono Recognition List for qualified lawyers established three years ago under the aegis of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee. The lawyers’ list, of which The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is Patron, recognised a record 5,550 lawyers in 2026.

The publication of the new student List comes as the legal profession and pro bono charities prepare for the 25^th anniversary of UK Pro Bono Week from 2 to 6 November 2026. Events will take place across the four nations to showcase and discuss how lawyers provide free legal help to those in need. For its silver anniversary, an exhibition will chart the history of pro bono, ranging from the contribution of medieval lawyers through to law students recognised in the new list.

See the list in full at: probonorecognitionlist.org.uk.

The Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter MP, commented:

“1,881 students recognised in the inaugural Student CLE Recognition List represents a fantastic achievement. These students have shown exceptional commitment to supporting others, providing practical legal assistance to individuals and communities while still undertaking their studies.

“As Chair of the Attorney General's Pro Bono Committee, I am delighted the Committee has endorsed this initiative. It highlights the vital contribution of clinical legal education to both legal training and access to justice. I congratulate every student recognised and hope they will carry this spirit of service throughout their legal careers.”

Amanda Crutchley, trustee of CLEO and Head of Pro Bono at the University of Law, said:

“The Student Clinical Legal Education Recognition List celebrates the commitment of law students who are making a meaningful contribution to access to justice while developing the skills and values that will shape their future careers.

“Through their university’s law clinics and programmes, students experience first-hand the impact that legal advice can have on individuals and communities, reinforcing the importance of pro bono as a lifelong professional value.

“CLEO are delighted to recognise the 1,881 students on this inaugural list and to highlight the vital role that university law clinics and programmes play across England and Wales.”

 Pro Bono in Action

This year's LawWorks and Attorney General's Student Pro Bono Awards give a sense of the variety and scale of the work undertaken by law students supported by their institutions. The awards are organised annually by LawWorks, as part of its long standing support for student pro bono.

• Cardiff University's Fresh Claims Project, this year's winner for Best New Pro Bono Activity, saw 28 students take on complex, end-to-end casework for destitute asylum seekers with nowhere else to turn - with a 100% success rate on the 14 cases handled since late 2024.
• Sheffield Hallam University - winner of Best Contribution by a Law School - saw its students log more than 30,000 hours of supervised pro bono work over the past year, with its Refugee Rights Hub alone supporting over 2,700 clients at a success rate exceeding 90%.
• At Bristol Law Centre, winner of Best Contribution by a Team of Students, the Legal Advocacy Support Project has helped disabled clients challenge DWP benefit decisions at tribunal, succeeding in over 80% of cases.

See the list in full at: probonorecognitionlist.org.uk

Full eligibility criteria and FAQs are available to view here: https://www.cleo-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Clinical-Legal-Education-Recognition-List-_-Guide-Sept-2025.pdf

About CLEO: The Clinical Legal Education Organisation (CLEO) is a UK-based charitable organisation aimed at fostering, promoting and developing clinical legal education in all its forms. The new Student CLE Recognition List is administered by CLEO’s trustees.

The Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee brings together representatives of the legal profession, charities and law schools to share information, to discuss challenges and planned initiatives, and to provide a forum to work together. The Committee endorsed the new initiative at its meeting on 2 July 2026 chaired at the time by the then Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Ellie Reeves KC MP.