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Sussex Family Law Clinic students and staff in court with President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, and HHJ Bedford

Sussex Law students gaining hands-on experience

Launched in January 2026, the McKenzie Friend Service is a new project led by the Family Law Clinic within the Sussex Law School, giving Law students the opportunity to support litigants attending hearings at Brighton Family Court.

Set up by Paven Basuita, Assistant Professor in Law, and final-year Law students participating in the Family Law Clinic, the service is targeted at those attending their First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment in child arrangement cases without a lawyer.

Supporting vulnerable community members

Support is free and includes explaining the court process and what to expect, taking notes for litigants during the hearing, and signposting to sources of information and assistance.

This service complements the other main function of the Family Law Clinic, which is to offer free legal advice appointments to individuals who are unable to afford legal advice or access legal aid.

Following the launch of the initiative, Sussex Law Clinic students and staff met with HHJ Bedford and the President of the Family Division, and Head of Family Justice, Sir Andrew McFarlane, on 19 February, to share their experiences.

Students had a behind-the-scenes tour of the Family Court building and met court staff. They spoke to the President and HHJ Bedford about what they had gained from the new service, including increased confidence, professional skills, and the opportunity to observe lawyers conducting advocacy in court.

They also described how the litigants seemed to benefit from the service. One litigant, for example, who is dyslexic, said she was grateful to have someone to take notes for her during the hearing so she could concentrate on what was being said in court.

The President then told the students about his own career journey, including how he became interested in Family Law and his advice for getting into the legal profession. He also spoke about some of the judgments he is working on, which was particularly interesting for the students who have been studying those cases in our Law LLB module, Child Law.

Paven Basuita said: “Due to cuts in legal aid, many litigants attend the family court without legal representation. This experience can be bewildering, stressful and even traumatising. In the short time we have been offering this service we have noticed the relief which litigants in person feel when they realise they do not have to go into court alone.

“The impact on students is also significant. They are able to observe family court hearings, which are normally closed to the public, and develop professional skills which they simply could not gain from classroom-learning alone.

“None of this would be possible without the support of Brighton Family Court, its judges and staff, who have worked hard to make this idea a reality.”

Find out more

Our award-winning pro-bono Sussex Law Clinics provide free legal advice and education to members of the public – enhancing student employability and giving back to the local community.

If you are, or know of, a solicitor or barrister in practice who would like to volunteer as a legal advisor for any of the Clinics, get in touch at lawclinic@sussex.ac.uk.

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