CLE Foundation hosted seven interns from Thaksin University and Kasetsart University for the Legal Studies Clinic 2014. Through the Legal Studies Clinic interns learned about CLE (Clinical Legal Education), team building, legal English Class, working with an international organization and management and administrative systems. Interns applied their community teaching training by teaching single mothers at the Wildflower Home Foundation.

The clinic also includes academic field trips to observing trials and legal advocacy in various cases to learn more about the judicial system. Interns had the opportunity to work with the Faculty of Law at Chiang Mai University to learn about the in-house clinic and administration law clinic operations. The interns trained and worked closely with the legal trainer and international interns participating in the International Externship Legal Studies Clinic. We are proud of the great work the interns did during their stay with us. The interns gained valuable skills and experiences which they can apply to their law school clinics.

‘I think BABSEA CLE & CLE Foundation is very important organization because they work to support CLE program in universities. CLE program it makes me learn from real problems, not only is studying problems in class but also help to access justice.’ – Varittinan achavapakdee, First year student from Thaksin University, Faculty of Law

‘The thing that I learn from this internship program is good experience. This program makes me have more responsibility and practices my thinking method. I will keep all of this experience to improve and develop CLE legal clinic in my university.’ – Jirapat Naka, First year student from Thaksin University, Faculty of Law

‘The important thing I learn is CLE program that shows the way to learn laws in action not only learn law in books. This program makes law students to use our knowledge for other people to access to justice and make law students have legal mind.’ – Supajita Sungsang, Third year student, Kasetsart University

‘From the first day until the last day that I stayed here, I really appreciate not only working but also living. If somebody asked me what I got from here, there are many things but the first is all staffs, warm greeting and good advice. The second is the both of Thai and foreign people are my special memory and impression. The last, I think that CLE program is an excellent program for legal students to be an expert, practiced, high-minded lawyers.’ – Songvit Onnru, First year student from Thaksin University, Faculty of Law

‘CLE program affects legal education and can be applied to your future works. There are many experiences from my internship such as how to solve any problem and how to do the law in practice not only in books I will explain, advise questions and invite to join with CLE program to my friends and my juniors in my university.’ – Bannavitit Chamrarnnusit First year student from Thaksin University, Faculty of Law

‘Experience makes man perfect” I have experience from there such as my English skills, organizing& managing an organization with the international standards, responsibility, expertise, hard-work, practicing and the most important is justice and how to promote access to justice and sustainable development to people.’ – Tawan Puanpong, Third year student from Thaksin University, Faculty of Law

Click here to read interns’ reflection (Thai language)

Nattakan Chomputhong, Doulas MacLaen

BABSEA CLE and CLE Foundation opened the month of May with a two-day workshop in beautiful Song Khla, Thailand. The theme was ‘How to Build a CLE Program,’ and was held for legal education institutions and legal practitioners in the south of Thailand. The two-day workshop was hosted by Thaksin University on May 1-2, and gathered law lecturers, university policy makers, prosecutors and judges from different provinces throughout the south of Thailand.

The workshop was designed to provide participants with an understanding about clinical legal education, CLE teaching methodologies, and how such programs help to develop ethical legal professionals with a strong sense of duty to advancing social justice. As a goal of clinical legal education, the workshop emphasized access to justice and pro bono mindedness to the participants who educate, practice and use the law.

As many of the participants were approaching CLE for the first time, the workshop was a productive space for discussions about CLE and the various models that would be best suited to their universities and communities’ needs, including both advantages and potential challenges. The discussions were high-spirited, practical and brought into focus the various issues they would need to consider for not only establishing CLE programs this year, but also making them sustainable in the long-run. Most importantly, the participants appreciated the importance of clinical legal education for law students and communities.

The participants found the workshop incredibly useful, and we are hopeful that CLE credited programs will flourish and be sustainable throughout the south of Thailand. Testimonials from participants:

‘I am proud to have been a part of this workshop which taught us about how to implement such a remarkable program. I consider the CLE program to be very useful and valuable to our university. We are pretty sure that this program will work well with our students and it will certainly help to build a better society of ethical law students as the program is hoping to.

Thank you very much to BABSEA CLE and CLE Foundation for giving us the valuable knowledge about how to run such legal clinics at our university in the near future.’ – Chumtang Jindachote, Law lecturer of Nakhon si Thammarat Rajabhat University.

‘CLE programmes are one of the best means for education in Thailand, especially in the field of law. The traditional lecture style of teaching is no longer enough for students anymore. To achieve success in their degrees, and furthermore in their lives, we need to use other, more effective, means such as field trips and learning by doing etc. CLE is one answer to the question about why there is a “lack of Thailand graduate students”.

This seminar was of great help,presented by experts whose experiences have helped the participants very much. They were very kind and friendly. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the experts, participants and hosts for this useful seminar. I appreciate it very much.’ – Papontee  Teeraphan, Law Lecturer of Thaksin University.

The Phayao team consisted of four QUT students; Alicia Dodemont, Clare McDonald, Paul Heales and Kasey Solar. Two BABSEA CLE staff, Suphamat Phonphra and Dang-Sai Hlaing. A BABSEA CLE volunteer, Tran Khanh Ly, a BABSEA CLE intern, Lisa Nguyen, as well as an interpreter, Khun Neil.

The morning of Wednesday 15 January 2014, the team headed to the bus station in Chiangmai to travel to the University of Phayao to conduct a two day legal ethics and professional responsibility workshop. The purpose of the workshop was for the four QUT students to test chapters 1 and 3 from the Pro bono, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility curriculum with the law students at the University of Phayao.

On Thursday 16 January 2014, the workshop was led by two QUT students, Alicia Dodemont and Clare McDonald. They began the workshop by providing a brief overview of the manual as well as the purpose for the testing of the chapters.

They then moved into their energizer to introduce the students to chapter 1 of the manual which was “What are ethics and why are they important for lawyers?”. The energizer was enjoyed by all 35 participants who participated in the workshop. The energizer involved one student falling back and being caught by other students. Not only did it involve the students to get out of their seats and move around but the concept behind the energizer linked perfectly into the topic of trust between the client and the lawyer. The remainder of the lesson involved the QUT students asking questions and prompting discussion amongst the groups to draw out the topic of personal as well as professional ethics.

On Friday 17 January 2014, the session focused on chapter 3, “Lawyer’s duties to the client” and was led by Paul Heales and Kasey Solar. As there were a small number of students who attended the second workshop, the QUT students were able to teach the complex concepts to the students in a more manageable manner. The lesson comprised of the class moving into different areas of the room depending on their answer to a particular question. The movement encouraged great discussion and so by the end of the class it was great to see that the students were able to take something away from the class.

Overall, the workshops in Phayao went extremely well. The campus was breathtaking and adding to the great ambience of the place, the amazing people the team were able to work with made it an amazing experience.