The University of Luxembourg is still young, but it has ideas. Already ranked among the top 250 institutions in the world by Times Higher Education, it is home to a very, very innovative course: the Consumer Law Clinic.
The aim of the Clinic is simple: it puts law students face to face with real clients who have suffered disputes in the field of consumer law.
And the help is real: if the dispute is less than €5,000, the Luxembourgish consumer or border consumer can ask for free support from students, who will then analyse the case and guide them correctly. All this under the supervision of teachers and lawyers who collaborate with the university. However, there is one limit: the Clinic only deals with cases that fall under Luxembourgish consumer law.
“Imagine someone who buys a watch and suffers a loss. Even if the watch is already worth €250, he will not go to court for that amount. Between the cost of representation by a lawyer - and even without - the time and knowledge required for these disputes generally mean that they are dropped in the end,” explains Elise Poillot, law professor and director of the Clinic. “This is a real shame because consumers in Europe are certainly the best protected in the world.”
The service on offer can indeed help wronged parties to get out of trouble. An internet subscription marked by a soaring price without explanation, a sofa delivered in the wrong colour, a nursery with strange prices, a fraudulent text message... The Clinic has already treated many clients in Luxembourg.
In “a young, dynamic, and open university, the idea was immediately well received,” recalls Poillot. “My idea was really to do what we call a users’ clinic. That is to say, to give students the opportunity to work on real practical cases and to meet people, because the human element remains at the centre of the law.”
It is a busy but highly professional course for students in their final year of a master’s degree, who can put into practice the knowledge they have accumulated over five years of study. And a service to consumers since the Clinic consults free of charge. “It’s part of what we call the university’s third mission: after teaching and research, it serves civil society.”
Nevertheless, the clinic does not replace the services of a real lawyer. Students do not write letters or do the legwork for clients. “We are there to inform consumers, but we do not advise them,” insists Poillot. Consumers must therefore play the game, find the contracts, and take the necessary steps on their own. And even if the clinic declares itself incompetent and therefore refrains from dealing with a case, it will refer the person to a better-placed contact.
Some cases were resolved after a few written exchanges. Others require time and a meeting with the members of the Clinic. “We have already received letters of thanks from people who have been helped,” smiles Poillot, who is proud to see her training being useful.
If you are interested in contacting the Consumer Law Clinic, please consult this form on the department website at the University of Luxembourg.
