Rettssenter moves to BI, giving law students unique practical experience

BI law students can now work on real cases for vulnerable groups under the close supervision of experienced lawyers.

Through the new partnership, Rettssenter is establishing a physical presence at BI Startup Village on the BI campus Oslo. This gives BI law students a unique opportunity to combine theory and practice early in their studies, while also making a meaningful contribution to society.

Rettssenter provides free legal aid to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, but at BI it will also serve as an accessible legal advisory resource for students and student-run businesses at BI Startup Village.

Rettssenter CEO Cathrine Moksness and BI’s Director of Business Relevance, Ida-Cathrine Jørgensen, signed the agreement.

Quality-assured practical experience from day one

What sets the initiative apart is that students work with real clients and real legal issues. To ensure a high standard of quality, all cases are reviewed and supervised by experienced lawyers.

Cathrine Moksness, CEO of Rettssenteret, believes the experience students gain will stay with them well beyond their studies.

“Everyone has basic rights in theory, but in practice there is a significant difference between having a right and actually being able to exercise it, even in Norway’s welfare state. When students work on real cases, they see how much this assistance means to each individual. Experiencing firsthand what your legal knowledge means when working with people in vulnerable situations provides an insight and professional confidence that are best developed through practical experience. You learn how to resolve complex cases in the real world,” says Moksness.

Rettssenteret Chair Rasmus Asbjørnsen highlights the value of early assistance and the students’ role as a first point of contact.

“Many of the questions people come to us with do not actually require an expensive lawyer. What they need is someone who will listen to them and help sort out their situation. By connecting skilled law students directly to this first line of support, we can resolve cases before they develop into major conflicts. Rettssenteret strengthens its team, while students get to experience how much their legal knowledge can actually mean to people who have nowhere else to turn,” says Asbjørnsen.

Strengthening legal education at BI

At BI, expectations are high for what having Rettssenteret on campus will mean for the learning environment and students’ academic development.

Ida-Cathrine Jørgensen, BI’s Director of Business Relevance and the administrative lead for the partnership, is very positive about the project now getting underway:

“We are extremely pleased to finally get this partnership underway! By establishing Rettssenteret at BI Startup Village on our Oslo campus, we are giving law students a unique opportunity to gain valuable practical experience while making a real difference to people who need it most. The students and the Rettssenteret mentor will also be a resource for the student businesses building their companies at BI Startup Village, and we believe this connection will be highly valuable for everyone involved,” says Jørgensen.

From left: Rasmus Asbjørnsen, Jørn Haanæs, Lise Tholin Lien, Dorthe Nordgård, Cathrine Moksness, Monica Viken, Marius Eriksen, Ida-Cathrine Jørgensen and Kari Birkeland.

 

Professor Monica Viken at BI’s Department of Law and Governance is academically responsible for BI’s law programmes and highlights the value of close ties with working life:

“For our law students, this is an exceptionally strong learning environment. Connecting theoretical legal knowledge directly with practical casework, under the guidance of skilled professionals, creates a learning experience that is difficult to replicate in a classroom. This will give our students a deeper understanding of the role of law in society and prepare them particularly well for their professional careers,” says Viken.

An accessible legal aid service

The legal aid service is not limited to external clients and student businesses. Other BI students who need to make use of Rettssenteret’s legal aid services are also very welcome to contact the centre in person on campus, explains Associate Professor Kari Birkeland, who will serve as the department’s contact person for the project and be responsible for following up with the students throughout the process.

“We look forward to working with Rettssenteret. This is an important initiative that gives students a unique opportunity to develop their legal expertise by working on real-world issues, while also helping to improve access to legal aid for people who need it. I look forward to supporting the students throughout this process,” says Birkeland.