Public Interest Law Clinic (PILAC)

The Public Interest Law Clinic (PILAC) was established in 2012 as the first university-based law clinic in Uganda. Its vision is ‘a legal profession alive to the social justice needs of the vulnerable’. The mission is ‘to promote social justice through legal education, research, legal aid, public interest litigation and building strategic partnerships and practice’. Since establishment, the Clinic has innovated with the teaching of law, by introducing the clinical methodology, an experiential approach which exposes students to the practice of law.

PILAC provides services including court representation, legal counselling, mediation, legal awareness & literacy sessions and research to the public. Our learners are also involved in community engagements to support communities with legal aid through our various research initiatives.

Refugee Law Project (RLP)

As a Centre of Justice and Forced Migrants, the RLP is a community outreach initiative of the SoL with the mandate to ensure that all people especially refugees and forced migrants enjoy their human rights irrespective of their legal status.

Oversight of the Refugee Law Project is provided by Board of Directors under the SoL that in turn, reports to the Academic Board of the School. RLP has offices in Kampala, Kiryandongo, Gulu, Kitgum, Lamwo, Adjumani, and Isingiro) and Programme sites in Yumbe, Terego, Kyegegwa, and Kasese.

RLP’s work encompasses 6 thematic areas: access to justice; mental health psychosocial support and livelihoods; gender and sexuality; conflict, transitional justice & accountability; and media for social change. 

Disability Law and Rights Centre (DLRC)

The DLRC commenced as a project in 2015 and was subsequently launched as a Centre in the School of Law in January 2020. It is guided by a vision ‘to build an all-inclusive society respective of difference, diversity and inherent dignity of all persons with disabilities’. Its mission is ‘to promote disability rights through legal education & training, providing legal services, and undertaking research and advocacy with the overall goal of enhancing the promotion and protection of disability rights in Uganda.

The Business Law Clinic (BLC)

The Business Law Clinic (BLC) established in 2019, started out as a three year Pilot project of the Department of Commercial Law with funding through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (RIF I) under the name ‘Transactional Law Clinic’ Pilot Project. The overall objective of the Clinic is to enhance the relevance of legal education and practice in addressing the legal needs of indigent persons, low-income earners, and not-for-profit business ventures. The Clinic is founded on the notion that enhancing access to transactional legal services empowers communities and facilitates inclusive and sustainable development for Uganda. The BLC is also designed as an innovation to expand the use of clinical methods in legal education. Through experiential learning law students tackle issues of economic rights and economic development for community organisations, especially those which cannot afford transactional legal services.

Environmental Law Centre (ELC)

ELC was established in 2007 as the first Environmental Law Center of Excellence in the Eastern Africa Region adopting interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches in its methods of teaching and research. The main aim of the centre is supporting fast-paced development of the environmental and natural resources sector with strong legal training and research; the need for a Ugandan institution with comprehensive programmes and research and teaching of environmental law and policy; and the need for creation of a specialised centre of environmental and natural resources law.

The Centre has partnerships with Environmental Law Institute in Washington DC and the United Nations Environmental Programmes (UNEP) who provided funding for the Centre’s initial activities. Since then, the centre has received funding and support from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), USAID and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).