Law students and paralegals ready to raise awareness of legal aid following OSCE-supported training

On 23 and 24 September 2015, the OSCE Mission to Moldova held a training event for a group of law students and paralegals on conducting presentations to encourage the public to make use of state guaranteed legal aid in Moldova. A total of 14 law students and six paralegals from Bălţi, Cahul, Chişinău and several regions of Moldova took part in the training, which was held in Vadul-lui-Vodă, a town by the Dniester/Nistru River. 

During the training, the participants were provided with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to enable them to make public presentations on how to access state guaranteed legal aid. These presentations will help to ensure that vulnerable people, including those facing discrimination in the school system, domestic violence, property disputes and documentation problems, are able to use Moldova’s system of free legal aid. 

“The skills I acquired during the training, such as using simple language when discussing legal issues and how to capture the audience’s attention, will be useful not only during these presentations, but also in my future work as a lawyer,” said Sergiu Palma, law student from Chisinau.

The training event is part of a project implemented jointly by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Chisinau-based Institute for Penal Reform that aims to ensure that citizens have access to legal information and are able to assert their rights.