In a major move to bridge legal education with public service, the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL) at LUMS inaugurated the LUMS Law Clinic, marking a significant milestone for clinical legal education in Pakistan.
The launch event gathered legal educators, public sector officials, faculty members, students, and prominent figures from the legal community. Designed to give students hands-on legal experience while advancing access to justice, the Clinic will offer a range of pro bono services. These include legal representation in family and bail matters and conducting legal literacy sessions within prisons, in partnership with the Punjab Prisons Department and the Women Crisis Center, Lahore.
The programme featured keynote addresses from Dr Sadaf Aziz, Dean of SAHSOL, and Dr Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor of LUMS. Additional speakers included Ms. Angbeen Atif Mirza, Assistant Professor at SAHSOL; Ms Maira Mumtaz, Clinic Instructor; Ms Kulsoom Saqib, Director General of the Punjab Women Protection Authority; Dr Qadeer Alam, AIG Judicial of Punjab Prisons; and Barrister Usama Malik, Director at the Directorate of Legal Education, Pakistan Bar Council.
Students involved with the Clinic shared powerful testimonies about their experiences transitioning from classrooms to courtrooms and prisons, highlighting how clinical legal education has both enriched their learning and contributed to wider social justice efforts. Through experiential learning, the Clinic aims to translate theoretical legal education into meaningful practice, particularly for marginalized communities.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Dr Parvez Hassan, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Founding Member of LUMS, followed by a networking session in the SAHSOL gardens.
By launching the Law Clinic, LUMS reaffirms its commitment to innovative legal education, public service, and social responsibility—setting a new benchmark for law schools across the country.