UNIVERSITE DU LUXEMBOURG Legal Clinic
The legal clinic of the University of Luxembourg (Clinique du droit de la consommation) was founded in 2005 and specializes in Consumer Law. The pedagogical team is currently composed by Professor Elise Poillot (founder and director), Mrs. Laura Aade (PhD researcher) and Mr. Negre Damien (PhD researcher). The legal clinic is tied to the Master in European Business Law but allows students from other Masters’ degrees to enrol. Its activities are carried out with the support of Luxembourg’s Bar Association.
The legal clinic allows students to gain practical experience during their studies by exposing them to real-life cases and users. In preparation to their activities, the students receive a thorough training in Consumer Law as well as a specific training at the beginning of the academic year. They take part to mock interviews with fictive consumers, under the supervision of the pedagogical team, lawyers from Luxembourg’s Bar Association and a psychologist. This provides for an individualized and interactive coaching, adding a practical dimension to the formal teaching.
Being open to the public, the legal clinic offers students the possibility to serve the community. Any consumer facing a dispute with a business, amounting to less than 5.000 EUR and subject to Luxembourg’s Consumer Code may reach out to the clinic. They can do it through a dedicated page on the University of Luxembourg’s website. Once the user has submitted all information and documents related to the case, students work under the supervision of the pedagogical team to analyze the case and provide the users with legal information.
However, students of the clinic cannot act as official legal representatives. Should a case reveal the need for proper legal representation, users will be recommended to contact a lawyer, the Luxembourgish Consumer Union (ULC) or a mediator.