OSCE Mission to Moldova trains law students to raise awareness about free legal aid

The OSCE Mission to Moldova held a training event on raising awareness about free legal aid for 21 law students from Balti, Cahul and Chisinau on 26 and 27 June 2017. As a result of the event, held at Vadul-lui-Vodă, participants will go on to organize a series of public events in rural areas addressing the most widespread legal issues facing vulnerable members of the community.

During the training course, students were equipped with the skills needed to strengthen people’s understanding of how the state has an affirmative duty to protect their rights in legislation and in practice. Students also learned to structure their public lectures so that the general public can gain clearer insight into the national legal aid system and use it more often to find solutions to their everyday problems.  

“I really appreciated the opportunity to engage in lively yet constructive discussions on how best to raise awareness of Moldova’s free legal aid system,” said Nicolae Poponet, a student participating in the event. “This experience underscored to me that practicing law is also about engaging with local communities, and helped develop my communication skills to this end.”

This event was held as part of the Mission’s project to ensure the provision of state-guaranteed legal aid in Moldova, which aims to improve vulnerable people’s access to justice.