Under the auspices of the German Organization for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GIZ), the Faculty of Law, University of Niš established the Legal Clinic for Administrative Law. The Clinic is intended for third- and fourth-year undergraduate law students as well as master’s students. It provides both theoretical and practical training, creatively addressing issues in administrative and administrative-judicial proceedings. The aim of the Clinic is to accelerate the professional training of students for practical legal work after graduation, through the acquisition of skills essential for every competent lawyer, including models of professional communication and the fundamentals of professional ethics. The Legal Clinic for Administrative Law was formally inaugurated on 1 March 2023. Participants in the Clinic receive training delivered by university professors and judges of the Administrative Court. The training covers significant legal cases in administrative and administrative-judicial proceedings, enabling participants to master techniques of case preparation, methodologies of legal practice, and the fundamental principles of forming legal arguments and positions in numerous administrative and administrative-judicial matters.
The development of the Legal Clinic at the Faculty of Law, University of Niš, began in 2002 with the establishment of the Civil Law Clinic as a form of elective instruction aimed at the practical application of acquired knowledge. In its initial phase, from 2002 to 2005, clinical training was carried out through simulations and other interactive methods designed to help students acquire essential legal skills and develop professional responsibility.
In 2005, a Model Law Office was established, enabling students, under the supervision of faculty members and practicing lawyers, to provide free legal assistance to actual clients. This marked the introduction of a live-client clinical education model and represented an important step toward aligning legal education with European standards in clinical legal practice.
Since 2007, the Legal Clinic has held the status of a teaching and research unit within the Faculty, and in 2008, Clinical Legal Education became an elective course under the new undergraduate law curriculum. This integration allowed practical training to become a regular component of legal education. By 2010, more than four hundred students had successfully completed the program, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as property and tenancy protection, family law, and women’s rights, under the mentorship of professors and lawyers.
In 2012, the Clinic’s organizational structure was improved through the introduction of a technical secretary position, ensuring greater efficiency and continuity of work. At the same time, international collaboration was initiated, leading to partnerships and joint projects with several European universities in the field of clinical legal education.
In 2013, the Mobile Legal Clinic was established, allowing students to provide free legal assistance to residents of smaller towns in southeastern Serbia. From 2016 to 2019, its activities were supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and later by the Embassy of the United States and USAID through the “Justice for All” project, which ensured the Clinic’s continued operation even after the enactment of the Law on Free Legal Aid in 2019.
In 2017, the Legal Clinic for the Protection against Discrimination was launched. Its program combined theoretical instruction and work on practical cases within the field of anti-discrimination law. During 2022 and 2023, the Faculty also implemented the Administrative Law Clinic program, where students worked on hypothetical cases and visited the Administrative Court to gain insight into the functioning of administrative procedures and judicial review.
Today, the Legal Clinic comprises five specialized units: the General Legal Clinic, the Administrative Law Clinic, the Women’s Rights Clinic, the Anti-Discrimination Clinic, and the Mobile Legal Clinic. Over more than two decades of continuous activity, the Clinic has evolved into an institution that unites education, professional engagement, and social responsibility. Through its participation in numerous projects, trainings, and professional conferences dedicated to clinical education and human rights protection, the Legal Clinic stands as a testament to the University of Niš Faculty of Law’s enduring commitment to bridging legal theory and practice in the service of justice and the public interest.
