Saudi lawyers undergo training to represent the needy for free

The lawyers’ legal training, given by a team of experts in the field. (Courtesy photo)

JEDDAH: One hundred lawyers recently completed a training session that qualifies them to represent families with limited incomes for free.

Organized by the Takamul Investment Company in Jeddah, the initiative involves training, employment assistance for participating lawyers and legal services for those who cannot plead for themselves, or afford to hire lawyers, according to Takamul president, lawyer Majed Garoub.
The lawyers’ legal training, given by a team of experts in the field, will enhance and foster the culture of volunteering.
Firms that will employ the trained lawyers will receive financial support from the Human Resources Development Fund, in the amount decided by the fund.
The total cost of the project is estimated at SR20 million; this covers the training of 1,000 young men and women with a bachelor degree in Shariah and law over 10 years, at an average of SR2 million per annum.
The participating lawyers will work in the private sector; 100 lawyers a year will offer 100 hours of volunteer legal services in one year for a period of 10 years, which adds up to one million working hours of volunteer work.
The Saudi Law Training Centre and the legal partner of the program, Lawyer Majed Mohammed Garoub Office, will recruit 20 clerks and jurists to manage and run the program for 15 years.
According to Garoub, the program provides 200 training hours in Shariah, law, administration, personal status affairs and labor law.
The training program lasts for a year, and the lawyers perform their volunteer work for 10 years. Those who fail to work the full amount of volunteering hours in the 10 years will have an additional four years to do so.
Garoub said that the initiative has the support of the authorities, especially judicial agencies that signed a support agreement with the Human Resources Development Fund to recruit trainees from the private sector, as agreed with Majed bin Abdulaziz Society for Development and Social Services, to give young people the basic skills required to conduct volunteer work and guidance to deal with humanitarian cases that require legal advice or representation.
The initiative was adopted by the King Khalid Foundation, which supports it financially.
“The initiative accepts licensed trainees or lawyers from private sector law offices who desires to raise their professional level, in general, and in the field of labor cases and personal status, in particular,” said Garoub.
The Takamul initiative is a pioneering model that contributes to the success of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ plan to improve security and legal systems in general, and the performance of specialized and administrative courts, prosecution and investigation agencies, family and civil status courts, labor courts and the Board of Grievances in particular.
The initiative will also help the process of Saudization of private and government sector jobs, as well as the integration of women in the labor force.
It places special focus on raising the professional level of lawyers, especially those working in personal status and labor courts, which deal with more than 60 per cent of the cases raised with general courts.