General Information

In order to achieve statutory objectives and goals of the Association of Lawyers of Russia as well as for implementation of social participation programs between the state and the professional community of lawyers on legal aid and legal education of citizens, the Association of Lawyers of Russia established 325 centers providing free legal aid in 42 regions of the Russian Federation. Centers’ employees and consultants have reviewed and examined more than 43 000 applications filed by citizens during 2009.

Persons to whom the free legal aid can be provided

Free legal advice aid is usually provided to individuals representing the most unprotected segments of people (World War II veterans, pensioners, handicapped persons, public sector workers, non-adults, students, servicemen, foreign citizens and stateless persons).

The Association of Lawyers of Russia pays special attention to quality and timeliness of legal aid, to registration of citizens’ applications for legal aid as well as to reports of legal aid centers of the regional departments of the Association related to provided aid.

Information on the activities of community liaison offices and centers providing legal aid

Public access to the information about activities of the community liaison offices and legal aid centers is provided by placing the information (location address, operating schedule, contact information) both at the web-page of the Association of Lawyers of Russia (www.alrf.ru) and at the web-pages of the regional departments of the Association in section Free legal aid.

In addition, for distribution of the information about the activities of the community liaison offices and legal aid centers the Association uses regional mass media: television, radio, printed media, telephone services and the Internet.

Scope, type and form of legal aid

A range of issues in relation to which legal aid is provided was determined in order to ensure functional activity of the community liaison offices and legal aid centers and their aid for citizens which require it.

The grounds for legal aid may be direct oral appeals (private appointment), written appeals, appeals via e-mail and by means of the Internet.

The forms of legal aid may be oral consultations, compilation of written reports and legal aid via e-mail and the Internet, including on-line mode.

In determining the range of issues on which legal aid can be provided, the following directions are involved:

1. Clarification of the norms of the law and consulting in the areas of: civil law (transactions, law of inheritance), housing law and land law, employment law and law of social security, family law, constitutional law (ecological and sanitary and epidemiological welfare, legal nationality registration and acceptance, military duty), administrative law (administrative offences).

2. Aid related to drawing up of appeals to state authorities.

3. Providing certificates in accordance to current law.

4. Information about the location of public
and municipal authorities, the tribunals and law enforcement agencies.

5. Clarification of the norms of civil procedure legislation, practical aid in settling of service documents.

It is unambiguously established that the free legal aid activity of the Association of Lawyers of Russia does not involves such services as direct representing of citizens’ interests during civil and criminal procedures, enforcement proceeding on civil actions as well as in the local government bodies, public associations and other organizations.

In addition, no legal aid is provided to legal entities as well as consultations on matters related to business activity of the requesting person and on matters subsequent upon legal relationship, regulated by taxation and revenue legislation (the exception is the provision of information about the grounds and amount of state duty payment).

Normative ensuring

Legal Standards Committee of the Association of Lawyers of Russia is actively working on the development of documents, regulating the activities of centers providing the free legal aid of the Association of Lawyers of Russia.

Following projects were developed:

- Statutes On the Network of Community Liaison Offices of the Association of Lawyers of Russia;

- Performance Standards of Community Liaison Offices of the Association of Lawyers of Russia;

- Standard Statute On Regional Community Liaison Office of the Association of Lawyers of Russia;

- Standard Statute On Legal Aid Centre of the Association of Lawyers of Russia.

A set of documents regulating the organization of social accreditation of lawyers and legal aid centers has been developed, i.e. the official recognition by the Association of Lawyers of Russia of the initiative (social accountability) and competence of the representatives of legal career to provide the legal aid to citizens and to participate in the implementation of legal education of people via the network of the liaison offices of the Association.

On the basis of the aforementioned documents the Association of Lawyers of Russia is introduced by a system of measures to verify the compliance of the community liaison offices and legal aid centers with organizational standard and standard of legal aid providing, control of completeness, timeliness and qualification of legal aid as well as its effectiveness (solving of legal issues of citizens).

After approval of draft documents of the Association of Lawyers of Russia plans to conduct theoretical and practical trainings, regional and all-Russian seminars and other events in order to exchange experience and top up qualifications of the employees in the community liaison offices and legal aid centers and persons providing the legal aid.

Implementation of the project of the development of the community liaison offices network of the Association of Lawyers of Russia on a common standard is in the stage now while provisions and regulations will soon be put into effect.