Homeless Rights Project Summer 2025
This blog is written by two of the five students who volunteered in a brand new GO Justice Centre project this summer. The Homeless Rights Project pilot was collaboration with Legal Services Agency and Shelter Scotland where students were tasked with supporting law centre solicitors on their homeless cases. This Project was designed to respond to a high level of unmet legal need in the city whilst introducing students to an area social justice law and some key lawyering skills.
Students Amy McGilp and Hailey Schmidt reflect on what they learned from this project and what value a project like this can bring to a law student’s educational experience.
Amy: Volunteering on the Homeless Rights Project taught me a lot about both legal practice and homelessness. On the legal side, I saw first-hand how essential legal aid is in helping people to enforce their rights. I also came to appreciate just how much administrative work goes into every case and gained experience working with translators and supporting vulnerable clients. In terms of homelessness, I was struck by how many clients were from the refugee community, and how vulnerable people seeking safety in the UK are to becoming homeless. I also learned about the gap between Scotland’s world-leading homelessness laws and the material reality. Though everyone is entitled to temporary accommodation, in practice, many face “gatekeeping” and struggle to access it. Even when they do, individuals and whole families are often left in temporary hotel rooms far beyond the seven-day legal limit.
Hailey: One of the biggest lessons I took from this project was how much unseen work goes into legal practice. Behind every piece of representation, there are hours spent opening case files, drafting notes, scanning and uploading documents, and navigating the legal aid system. This was definitely something I hadn’t fully appreciated before. The project also showed me the true importance of legal aid. I met clients who would have had no way of enforcing their rights without it, and I was particularly struck by how many people from immigrant and refugee backgrounds depend on this support. It was eye-opening to see how unsure their situations can be, with many already homeless or on the edge of it while trying to build a life in the UK. Coming from Canada, I was also struck by the contrast between Scotland’s legal protections on paper and the lived reality. Scotland’s homelessness legislation is often described as world-leading, but in practice housing shortages and local “gatekeeping” can leave people without the support they’re entitled to. Families sometimes spend long periods in unsuitable hotel rooms, despite the law limiting such stays. More than anything, this experience left me with a stronger sense of how devastating homelessness is, and how vital it is to keep fighting to make legal rights meaningful in practice. It reinforced for me that supporting legal aid work is something I want to continue doing, and I would encourage other students to get involved if they have the chance.
Amy: I’d really recommend volunteering on the Homeless Rights Project to other students. There’s honestly no better way to understand how the law works in practice than stepping into a law firm or law centre and supporting solicitors directly. If you’re interested in a career in social justice law, the experience is invaluable. You get to learn about things that may not come up on the LLB or DPLP, such as working with vulnerable clients in a trauma-informed way, navigating legal aid in practice, or managing vicarious trauma. Additionally, because of the urgency and often-short timescales involved in homelessness law, we were able to see the results of our efforts. Some clients we had helped support were later able to access temporary housing or move from unsuitable accommodation. Seeing the tangible impact of our contributions on people’s lives was incredibly rewarding.
Hailey: I can’t recommend enough that other students volunteer on the Homeless Rights Project. It’s one thing to learn about the law in lectures, but quite another to see how it actually operates in practice. These projects give you a first-hand look at the realities of legal work, the hours of preparation, the importance of accurate case management, and the vital role of legal aid in helping people enforce their rights. Beyond legal skills, you also gain a much deeper understanding of the human side of law. Working with people experiencing homelessness, including those from refugee and immigrant backgrounds, shows just how much impact legal support can have. In our project, we were able to support clients who went on to secure temporary housing or move into more suitable accommodation, an outcome that really drove home how meaningful this work can be. Most of all, it’s incredibly rewarding to know that even as a student, you can contribute substantially. You come away not only with stronger skills and experience but also with a clearer sense of the kind of lawyer you want to become.
