The Community Law and Mediation organisation, which was started in Coolock, Dublin, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The organisation was established by the Free Legal Advice Centres, better known as FLAC, in 1975, and was modelled on an American neighbourhood law centre. Initially set up as the Coolock Community Law Centre, it achieved […]
The Community Law and Mediation organisation, which was started in Coolock, Dublin, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
The organisation was established by the Free Legal Advice Centres, better known as FLAC, in 1975, and was modelled on an American neighbourhood law centre. Initially set up as the Coolock Community Law Centre, it achieved its core aim of designing a blueprint for how a community model of civil legal aid could be rolled out nationally.
Over the five decades, it evolved from a local to a national service with physical locations in Coolock and Limerick and new areas of work in mediation, environmental justice (see opposite) and children’s law.
In Limerick alone, CLM now provides support, advice, advocacy and more to 750 people a year.
Community Law and Mediation, as it is today known, began its 50th anniversary celebrations with a human rights event in February at Dublin City Hall. It featured a public discussion of human rights issues today with Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, social justice and human rights campaigner; Michael O’Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights; climate justice lawyer Tessa Khan; and Rose Wall, outgoing CEO of Community Law & Mediation.
The discussion was a fine way to show CLM’s intent to continue to fight for fairness, justice and human rights in our communities.
To find out further CLM anniversary events later this year, visit: https://communitylawandmediation.ie/
