LUMS Law Clinic Launched: Bridging Legal Education with Public Service

In a significant step towards advancing clinical legal education and student-led public service initiatives in Pakistan, the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL) at LUMS officially inaugurated the LUMS Law Clinic. The ceremony brought together legal educators, public sector representatives, faculty, students, and members of the wider legal community.

The LUMS Law Clinic is designed to equip students with real-world legal experience while promoting access to justice and legal literacy. It supports a range of pro bono services—including legal representation in family and bail matters, and the provision of legal literacy sessions in prisons—delivered in partnership with the Punjab Prisons Department and Women Crisis Center, Lahore.

The inauguration programme featured keynote remarks by Dr. Sadaf Aziz, Dean SAHSOL, and Dr. Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor LUMS. Other speakers included Ms. Angbeen Atif Mirza (Assistant Professor, SAHSOL), Ms. Maira Mumtaz (Clinic Instructor, SAHSOL) along with contributions from Ms. Kulsoom Saqib (Director General, Punjab Women Protection Authority), Dr. Qadeer Alam (AIG Judicial, Punjab Prisons), and Barrister Usama Malik (Director, Directorate of Legal Education, Pakistan Bar Council).

Attendees heard first-hand accounts from students engaged in clinical work, sharing their profound experiences transitioning from classrooms to courts and prisons. These reflections highlighted the pedagogical and societal impact of clinical legal education. Rooted in experiential learning, the clinic enables students to translate doctrinal knowledge into meaningful legal practice, particularly for marginalized and underserved communities.

The launch concluded with a closing note by Dr. Parvez Hassan (Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan and Founding Member of LUMS) followed by a networking session in the law school garden.

This landmark initiative aims to elevate the standard of professional legal education in Pakistan while reaffirming LUMS’ unwavering commitment to legal innovation, public service and social responsibility.