Structures and Practices of University-Based Legal Aid Clinics in Malaysia and the United States

Clinical Legal Education (CLE) has become a defining element of contemporary legal training, transforming how law schools prepare students for professional practice. Traditional doctrinal teaching, while foundational, has long been criticized for its limited capacity to equip future lawyers with the skills, ethics, and social awareness necessary for effective lawyering. CLE bridges this gap by embedding students in real or simulated legal settings where they can apply substantive law, engage with clients, and confront ethical dilemmas firsthand. Legal aid clinics—often hosted within universities— represent the most prominent form of CLE, simultaneously serving pedagogical and social justice functions. They provide law students with structured, experiential learning while extending legal assistance to underserved communities, thereby advancing the global commitment to access to justice under Sustainable Development Goal 16.
This paper provides a comparative analysis of university-based legal aid clinics in Malaysia and the United States, examining how their structures, operations, and pedagogical goals reflect differing institutional and legal traditions. Employing a qualitative and comparative methodology, the study draws on scholarly literature, institutional reports, and academic commentaries to map the organization, curriculum integration, and student participation models in both jurisdictions. Findings indicate that while both systems recognize the pedagogical value of clinical education, their levels of institutionalization differ markedly. In the United States, CLE is a wellestablished and mandatory component of legal education, supported by accreditation standards and evaluated through learning outcomes. In contrast, Malaysian legal aid clinics remain largely cocurricular, relying on voluntary participation with limited academic credit and inconsistent integration into the law curriculum.
Despite these structural differences, both countries share a commitment to cultivating law students’ professional identity, ethical competence, and community engagement through practical exposure. The comparative analysis underscores that Malaysia’s CLE framework can be strengthened by embedding legal aid clinics into formal curricula, supported by clear policies, supervision protocols, and sustainable funding models. Drawing lessons from the U.S. experience, the paper concludes that integrating CLE as an assessed academic component will not only enhance the quality of legal education in Malaysia but also reinforce the role of universities as agents of social justice and civic responsibility.

legal education, experiential learning

1. Ab. Wahab, Azmi, & Khairi, Azian. (2020). Right to justice and legal aid barriers to the vulnerable non-citizens in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 16(1), 12–22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. American Association of Law Schools. (2017). Handout: ABA standards 302, 314, 315. AALS. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ashford, C. (2024). The Quality Assurance Agency Law Subject Benchmark Statement 2023. The Law Teacher, 58(3), 421–427. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bentalha, M. (2024, December). The legal clinic and its role in developing legal education. Kilaw Journal (Special Supplement – Issue No. 4, Part 2). Cadi Ayyad University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Denvir, C., Kinghan, J., Mant, J., & Newman, D. (2023). Legal aid and the future of access to justice. Hart. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. De Los, M., Ramallo, Á., Gialdi, F., Kenny, P., Sigal, M., & Ronconi, L. (2024). Free legal aid services and public interest clinic: Two models of practical education implemented in radically different law schools. Sortuz. Oñati Journal of Emergent Socio-Legal Studies, 14(1), 77–94. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Farber, S. (2024). Harmonizing AI and Human Instruction in Legal Education: A Case Study from Israel on Training Future Legal Professionals. International Journal of the Legal Profession, 31(3), 349–363. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Hamilton, N. W., & Bilionis, L. D. (2022, May). Revised ABA standards 303(b) and (c) and the formation of a lawyer’s professional identity, [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Part 1: Understanding the new requirements. PDQ in NALP Bulletin+. National Association for Law Placement. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Houseman, A. W. (2002). Civil legal assistance for low-income persons: Looking back and looking forward. Fordham Urban Law Journal, 29(5), 1213–1245. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Lasky, B. A., & Nazeri, Norhashimah Mohd. (2011). The development and expansion of university-based community/clinical legal education programs in Malaysia: Means, methods, strategies. International Journal of Clinical Legal Education, 15, 1–19. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Li, L., & Isa, Zulkarnain Mohd. (2023). Exploring the effectiveness of law clinics in enhancing access to justice for low-income individuals in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Science and Business Management, 1(2), 45–59. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Moore, I., & Ní Drisceoil, V. (2023). Well-being and Transition to Law School: The Complexities of Confidence, Community, and Belonging. In Wellbeing and higher education (pp. 17–41). Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Musa, Nor Cholis, & Nawi, Nur Farah. (2021). A Review of Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Experience at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Syariah and Law, 9(1), 35–46. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. New England Law. (2019). Expert advice on the benefits of law school clinics. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Rebecca L. Sandefur, & Aaron, C. (2011). Access across America: First report of the civil justice infrastructure mapping project. American Bar Foundation. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Rønning, O. H., & Hammerslev, O. (2018). Outsourcing legal aid in the Nordic welfare states. CrimRxiv. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Rossiev, V. V. (2023). Free legal aid in the United States of America. Tyumen State University Herald. Social, Economic, and Law Research, 9(3), 176–191. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Saidon, Rafeah, Ismail, Mohd. Azam Mohd., Ismail, Anisah Taufik, Bahari, Norliza, & Haron, Norhidayah Hashim. (2023). Philanthropy and Legal Aid: A Case Study. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(7), 804–813. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Sluijs, J. P., Gilissen, H. K., & Van Look, K. (2023). Training law students like athletes: Experimenting with the constraints-led approach in law clinics. The Law Teacher, 57(4), 458– 477. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Sotchui Rachagan, S., & Rajeswaran, R. (n.d.). UiTM Law Review. Universiti Teknologi [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. MARA. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat. (2024, September 3). Access to justice through legal aid: Insights from the bench [Keynote address]. Malaysian Law Students Legal Aid Convention 2024 (MALLAC 2024), Asian International Arbitration Centre, Kuala Lumpur. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Thomson, D. I. C. (2015). Defining experiential legal education. Journal of Experiential [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Learning, 1(1), Article 3. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Tri, A., Raharjo, K. A., Prayitno, S. K. P., Wahyudi, S., Bintoro, R. R. W., & Ismail, Nuzulul. (2025). Evaluation of legal aid service quality and supervision in Indonesia and Malaysia. Journal of Human Rights Culture and Legal System, 5(1), 187–216. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Wizner, S. (2002). The law school clinic: Legal education in the interests of justice. Fordham Law Review, 70(5), 1929–1937. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study