Practice projects

a) Gaining practical experience

Practical legal work differs considerably from what is taught at university – this is the case for all degree programmes, and law is no exception. This makes it all the more important to gain initial experience in applying the law as early as possible. The law clinic enables you to do just that: rather than being given a set exam scenario, you work out the situation to be assessed legally for yourselves. To do this, you speak to your clients, research the situation in their respective countries of origin, seek advice from medical experts and much more. This kind of work on the facts represents an important – and sometimes even the most important – aspect of practical legal work. In the law clinic, you will learn the significance of legal theory, the factual basis and the ability to prove a case.

b) Teamwork

Legal training – apart from self-organised study groups – is largely a solitary endeavour. This contrasts with many legal roles, in which you regularly work on a case alongside other lawyers. Coordinating such teamwork, resolving disputes within the team and jointly finding the best possible solution for the client are skills that need to be learnt – the law clinic offers an ideal environment for this and a degree of creative freedom that you have probably never experienced before in your legal career.

c) Taking responsibility

It is your case. It is your client. You decide how to handle the case and which approach to take. At the law clinic, you will become experts in your case, both in terms of the facts and the legal issues. You will learn to radiate authority. However, none of this ever happens without a safety net. You can consult your individually assigned supervisors at any time. We are happy to discuss any questions with you or proofread draft submissions. However, we will only intervene of our own accord in exceptional cases, because: it is your case.

d) Training in immigration law

No prior knowledge is required. Following a brief introduction to immigration law, you will take on a case and learn the substantive and procedural basics ‘on the job’. Your own research is your most important tool. This benefits not only your clients, but also yourself. You can discuss issues relating to migration law with other advisers in your team at any time and meet weekly with other clinic colleagues at general team meetings. In addition, the clinic offers you the opportunity to attend workshops where lawyers provide practical guidance on specific areas of immigration law. The focus is always on your case, rather than on the abstract transfer of knowledge.

e) Getting to know different cultures

Your clients come from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iran, Senegal, Somalia, Albania, Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, Macedonia and Nigeria. Each and every one of them has a unique story to tell. At the law clinic, you will learn to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and to overcome cultural and linguistic barriers.

f) Making a contribution to society

Last but not least, you’ll use your legal skills to help people for whom access to our legal system is extremely difficult. You’ll offer guidance to asylum seekers in an environment where they all too often feel left to fend for themselves. The law clinic offers you the opportunity to make a real difference with what you’ve learnt.

a) Commitment

When you take on a case and look after a client, you bear the responsibility. Making your own decisions, winning cases yourself and being the first one to be contacted by your clients is very fulfilling. However, it also means that you may occasionally have to put your own interests – particularly those relating to your time – on hold. The amount of work involved depends on the case in question; experience suggests that three weeks, at around five hours per week, is a good guideline. We try to take as much pressure off you as possible. This means that Law Clinic cases are not time-sensitive. You are never obliged to work on cases, and in exceptional circumstances, it is also possible to hand a case back. Ultimately, however, both your clients and your colleagues are counting on you.

b) Independence

It is your case. The role of the supervisors is not that of a superior issuing work instructions, but rather that of an advisor in the background. We are always available to discuss matters and can offer guidance, for example, on research queries, dealing with clients, contact persons or officials, setting the course and strategic considerations, or legal issues. We are also on hand if there are conflicts within the team. However, the longer you work on a case, the more you will become an expert on the factual and legal issues that arise. It is therefore your responsibility to resolve them. Your supervisors will, of course, monitor your case at all times and ensure that no major missteps occur. However, they will only intervene actively in exceptional cases. Do not hesitate to establish the ground rules for working with your supervisor in advance.

c) Tolerance for frustration

Some cases are difficult to win, but you must try nonetheless. Do not get used to defeats, but view them as temporary setbacks rather than permanent ones. Some clients are difficult to deal with because, for example, they respond only hesitantly or not at all to enquiries, or they fail to turn up for appointments. Do not let this discourage you; instead, respond professionally. In particular, this also means not accepting everything and, where appropriate, closing the case after providing the necessary explanations. Your supervisors will, of course, be on hand to advise you in such situations.

d) Attendance

Get involved. The law clinic has its own office, which serves as a permanent workspace and meeting place. Whether you want to discuss legal issues or simply have a coffee – you’ll find colleagues there. Build a close-knit team within the clinic. This also includes attending the weekly case discussions. Show an interest in your colleagues’ work and offer advice where appropriate. View the Law Clinic as a public-interest law firm. If you were a solicitor, would you miss a team meeting?

If you decide to work with the law clinic, you will first become a member of Legal Leverage Platform e.V. This happens automatically and does not entail any obligations. The association runs the law clinic and is liable in the event of errors in the advice provided. You personally therefore bear no risk whatsoever.

a) Case allocation

You will then be added to an email distribution list. Once a week, you will receive an email listing open case enquiries. These will contain brief descriptions of the cases received by the clinic. If you are interested in handling a case, please notify the law clinic organisation, specifying the case in question. If you already have a colleague with whom you wish to work, please let us know at the same time. Otherwise, you will be assigned a partner. You will never handle cases on your own.

b) Supervision

At the same time as you are assigned a case, you will be assigned a supervisor from the university’s mid-level academic staff, i.e. qualified lawyers or those with a law degree. Supervisors will monitor your case, be available for consultation and ensure that nothing crucial goes wrong. At this stage, you can also discuss with your supervisor how closely you would like the supervision to be.

c) An initial meeting

As a first step, you and your team organise a meeting with your client. Personal contact is of crucial importance. Only if you get to know each other well can you work together effectively. In this initial discussion, you will identify the issue at hand: what is the client’s concern? You will also create a digital file for your case and exchange contact details. Sometimes it may also be useful to maintain contact via third parties, e.g. members of a support group. Try to estimate at this stage how long the research is likely to take and when you will next meet with your client. Give your client the reassurance from the outset that their case is in good hands.

d) The research

You then turn your attention to the research. The law clinic only accepts cases that are not urgent and where you have sufficient time for factual and legal research and follow-up enquiries. Divide individual tasks amongst the team members, e.g. analysing the situation in the country of origin, reviewing documents or looking up the relevant legal principles. At any time during this phase, you can contact your supervisors if, for example, you need help with specific issues or are unsure about the right strategy. Discuss the next steps with your clients. It may now also be advisable to contact the relevant authorities to obtain further information or to clear up any misunderstandings. If you are drafting correspondence to third parties, please first submit a draft to your supervisors. This will enable you to receive constructive feedback and avoid serious mistakes. If, in exceptional circumstances, you feel that a lawyer needs to be involved, please discuss this with your supervisors as well. The clinic works in partnership with several asylum lawyers and therefore has excellent contacts.

You should organise and document your work using our case management software Redmine. There, you can also access entries relating to other cases and benefit from your colleagues’ relevant experience.

e) Closing a case

How you close a case depends on the specific circumstances. Sometimes a letter or phone call is sufficient; sometimes you’ll need to wait for a response from the authorities; and, in exceptional cases, it may be appropriate to hand the case over to a solicitor for further handling. In any case, once the work is complete, you should meet up with the team again to discuss what went well and what could have gone better. In this way, you will not only profit from self-development but also help the clinic to grow.

We are more than happy to certify participation in the RLC Regensburg as evidence of practical work undertaken whilst still a student.

There are three options:

The certificate/confirmation of voluntary work lists all activities carried out at RLC Regensburg, such as cases handled, attendance at team meetings, cases presented and workshops attended. Detailed certificates are issued only following a prior consultation; in other cases, simple certificates of attendance may be issued where appropriate. Students should contact Siri Mertinat (siri.mertinat@jura.uni-regensburg.de) regarding this.

Provided the minimum requirements are met, we will also certify the acquisition of the key qualification in accordance with Section 28 of the Faculty of Law’s Study and Examination Regulations. The minimum requirements for this are: participation in two cases, attendance at two workshops and six team meetings, and the presentation of a case at a team meeting. Students wishing to obtain such a certificate should contact lehrstuhl.graser​(at)​ur.de (opens your email program).

If the minimum requirements are met, we will also certify the extension of the exemption under Section 37(2), sentence 1, no. 3b) of the JAPO. To qualify, students must be able to demonstrate that they have undertaken at least sixteen semester-week hours of work alongside their studies. This can be achieved by attending training courses and actively managing client cases, subject to specific criteria. Students who wish to apply for an extension of their exemption on the basis of their work at the RLC Regensburg should contact Siri Mertinat (siri.mertinat@jura.uni-regensburg.de). Retroactive recognition is not possible.

Introductory session for those interested

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 6 pm in H7

The event is aimed at interested students from the University of Regensburg and OTH. It offers an opportunity to find out about the activities and events organised by RLC Regensburg.

Basic training

This term, for the first time, there will be a general, block-structured basic training course. The date for this will be announced in due course.

Members will receive information on the fundamentals of asylum and migration law, as well as case work. The session is aimed in particular at members who are new to the RLC. Further information is available on request from Siri Mertinat (siri.mertinat@ur.de)

Team meetings

The dates for the team meetings in the winter semester 2026/27 are:

Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 5 pm (1st online team meeting)

Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at 6.00 pm in R005 (1st in-person meeting)

Tuesday, 10 November 2026 at 5.00 pm (2nd online team meeting)

Monday, 23 November 2026 at 6.00 pm in R006 (2nd face-to-face meeting)

Tuesday, 8 December 2026 at 6.00 pm (3rd online team meeting)

Wednesday, 16 December 2026 at 6.00 pm in R005 (3rd face-to-face meeting)

Tuesday, 12 January 2027 at 5.00 pm (4th online team meeting)

Tuesday, 12 January 2027 at 6.00 pm in R005 (New Year’s party and general meeting)

Wednesday, 27 January 2027 at 6.00 pm in R005 (4th in-person meeting)

Non-members are also welcome to drop by at any time to gain an insight into the activities of the RLC Regensburg.

From this semester onwards, we ask that you present your cases using a checklist (external link, opens in a new window). Please email this to refugeelawclinic@ur.de before the team meeting. This will enable us to address any potential questions specifically during the meeting and to better prepare theoretical discussions on relevant topics.

You can obtain the details for the Zoom events on request from Siri Mertinat (siri.mertinat@jura.uni-regensburg.de or via refugeelawclinic@ur.de).

For information on changes and further events, please feel free to subscribe to our newsletter. To do so, please send us an email to refugeelawclinic@ur.de.

Contact

Interested students should please send an email (opens your email program) to refugeelawclinic@ur.de.

Staff are also available to answer any questions you may have about the consultation process or anything relating to the Refugee Law Clinic. Please email the address above.

Link to the homepage (external link, opens in a new window)

The SLU is aimed at advanced undergraduates, trainee teachers and PhD students. The number of participants is limited to 12. Above all, we are looking for commitment, reliability and the ability to work as part of a team. In the SLU, participants must come together to form a genuine team in order to succeed.

The SLU programme is structured over two semesters for participants. The course takes place partly as a block-structured face-to-face programme, partly through external appointments (e.g. court hearings, meetings with NGOs) and partly in digital form (virtual team meetings, the Redmine case management system). The cases taken on, with their respective deadlines, dictate the pace of the SLU’s work; the average workload is two hours per week. However, please note: the work at the SLU is intensive and exciting, demanding and instructive. Anyone wishing to take part should consider in advance whether they can commit to this. This is because participants also bear joint responsibility for the respective case. In return, working at the SLU offers direct practical experience and the chance to make a difference for clients and for the cause of law and justice. Dedicated SLU alumni will, of course, receive a reference for their future careers.

The ninth season of the SLU begins in the summer term. On TBC, there will be a casual SLU & Pizza evening, where SLU alumni will talk about the organisation’s work (the venue will be announced on the SLU Instagram and the SLU website). Applications will then be accepted by email to christoph.lindner@jura.uni-regensburg.de by TBC, 23:59 at the latest. Applicants are expected to submit a ‘letter of motivation’ in which they describe their reasons for wanting to join SLU. Any questions can be sent at any time by email to christoph.lindner@jura.uni-regensburg.de.

Further information about the SLU is available at @strategic_litigation_unit (external link, opens in a new window)(external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window) on Instagram or on our new website www.slu-regensburg.de (external link, opens in a new window)(external link, opens in a new window) (external link, opens in a new window).