Free legal webinars on offer for Mansfield and Ashfield residents

A series of free legal webinars for members of the Mansfield and Ashfield community are to be held by Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre, tackling issues such as housing, welfare benefits and intellectual property.

The webinars will be delivered by Legal Advice Centre staff and student volunteers

The multi award-winning teaching law firm, which received the Contribution to the Community Award 2020 from the Nottinghamshire Law Society, sees students at Nottingham Law School work on cases under the supervision of experienced lawyers. It offers free and affordable advice and support on a range of legal areas and has recently passed the £5 million mark in benefits and compensation awarded to its clients.

Four short webinars providing general information and guidance will be delivered by Centre staff and student volunteers, including two aimed at people who are experiencing benefits or housing issues due to a change in circumstances during the pandemic. The other two sessions will be aimed at those launching new business ideas and at families requiring support in relation to special educational needs.

The sessions include:

Intellectual Property: Explore the different rights that are available for protecting ideas, products and brands and identify some of the pitfalls. The webinar is ideal for those who are thinking of an idea or already have something set up. Wednesday 26 May, 1 - 2.30 pm. Book online.

Housing issues in Covid-19: This webinar will cover issues including the process that a landlord/lender must follow when a tenant is struggling to pay their rent/mortgage after a change in their circumstances during Covid-19. Thursday 27 May, 1 - 2.30 pm. Book online.

Welfare benefits in Covid-19: This webinar will cover issues such as entitlement and benefits after a change in circumstances during Covid-19. Thursday 3 June, 1 - 2.30 pm. Book online.

Special Education Needs & Disability: A team from the Centre’s recently expanded Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Service will give an overview of SEND discrimination in schools, with a particular focus on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). The webinar will also address issues with enforcement of EHCPs, and topical issues including changes brought about by Covid-19. Thursday 10 June, 1 - 2.30 pm. Book online.

As a not for profit teaching law firm with charitable status, the Centre was the UK’s first law firm fully integrated into a law school when it obtained an ABS (Alternative Business Structure) licence in 2015.

Laura Pinkney, head of the Legal Advice Centre, said: “We know that for many people the pandemic has led to a change in their personal and financial circumstances, which can leave them worried and confused. Legal advice can be costly and so we are proud to continue to provide free support on a range of topics to our clients in Nottinghamshire.

“Our lawyers have particular expertise in these webinar topics, and we hope that these sessions will raise awareness of legal rights and go some way to helping members of the Mansfield and Ashfield community to overcome legal hurdles they may be facing.”

For further information visit the Legal Advice Centre website.

Notes for editors

Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Public Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email
Legal Advice Centre
The Legal Advice Centre has won a string of awards, most recently including ABS of the Year in the Modern Law Awards 2020; being 'Highly Commended' for Volunteer Team of the Year at the East Midlands Charity Awards 2020; Paralegal, Jack Stuart, named as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Volunteer of the Year category at the East Midlands Charity Awards 2020; and Supervising Caseworker, Callum Scott achieving double success by being awarded Paralegal of the Year at the Modern Law Awards 2020 and also Highly Commended in the Junior Lawyer of the Year category at the highly competitive and prestigious Law Society Excellence Awards.
About Nottingham Trent University
NTU has joined up with Vision West Nottinghamshire College in Mansfield to offer a new route into higher education for people in the region. The new £6.5m University Centre offers hands-on courses relevant to the skills needed in the local economy.
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) was named University of the Year 2019 in the Guardian University Awards. The award was based on performance and improvement in the Guardian University Guide, retention of students from low-participation areas and attainment of BME students.
NTU was also the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2017, and The Times and Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2018. These awards recognise NTU for its high levels of student satisfaction, its quality of teaching, its engagement with employers, and its overall student experience.
The university has been rated Gold in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest ranking available.
It is one of the largest UK universities. With nearly 32,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across four campuses, the University contributes £900m to the UK economy every year. With an international student population of more than 3,000 from around 100 countries, the University prides itself on its global outlook.
The university is passionate about creating opportunities and its extensive outreach programme is designed to enable NTU to be a vehicle for social mobility. NTU is among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was awarded University of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards 2019.
A total of 82% of its graduates go on to graduate entry employment or graduate entry education or training within six months of leaving. Student satisfaction is high: NTU achieved an 87% satisfaction score in the 2020 National Student Survey, above the sector average of 83%.