The Aberdeen Law Project

What The Aberdeen Law Project does

The Aberdeen Law Project is a student-founded, student-led, and student-operated free legal clinic established in 2009 by Ryan Whelan at the University of Aberdeen. Operating through the independent Scottish company Casus Omissus (Company Limited by Guarantee, SC381494), the project delivers free legal advice and representation on housing, employment, and consumer matters to individuals who are ineligible for legal aid and cannot afford a private lawyer, with services supervised by qualified solicitors. In parallel, it runs an extensive community outreach programme spanning schools, prisons, women's aid organisations, homeless communities, and digital-crime awareness initiatives.

Its core products comprise six service lines: the Representation Team's free legal advice and representation service; Schools' Outreach Programmes (Mock Trials, Legal Launch career guidance, Digital Crime Awareness, Health and Addiction Awareness); Community Outreach Programmes (Prisons, Homelessness, Domestic Abuse Prevention, Immigration, Hate Crime Awareness, Renters' Rights); the Amber Light Project on consent education; the Advice Note Service launched in March 2025 for one-off legal opinions; and legal research support for NGOs and third-sector organisations. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery relies on trained student volunteers, solicitor supervision, and standard case management practices, and the project does not offer an API, SDK, or integrations.

The business model is donation-funded and entirely non-commercial: all client services are free, with revenue sourced from individual donations (via [email protected]), corporate sponsorship from a core cluster of law firms (CMS, Womble Bond Dickinson, Pinsent Masons, Stronachs, Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace, and others), and continuing support from the University of Aberdeen Development Trust. The organisation is based in North East Scotland, with its operational office hosted at the School of Law, Taylor Building, University of Aberdeen, and a registered office at 12-16 Albyn Place, Aberdeen.

Name

The Aberdeen Law Project

Legal name

Casus Omissus

Website

https://abdnlawproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Aberdeen Law Project is a student-founded and student-led free legal clinic in North East Scotland, operating through Casus Omissus to provide free housing and employment legal advice to individuals ineligible for legal aid, alongside schools, prison, and community outreach programmes across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro bono legal services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYEDAHAIAG

Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYBPAIAFAC

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Student legal clinic
• Community legal education
• Housing and employment law
• Free legal representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The project is funded entirely by donations. The FAQ confirms donations are gratefully received via [email protected]. The University of Aberdeen Development Trust provides continuing financial support.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors including law firms (CMS, Womble Bond Dickinson, Pinsent Masons, Stronachs, Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace, Maclay Murray & Spens, and others) provide financial and in-kind support. Sponsors also sponsor awards at the Annual Lecture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Aberdeen Law Project is a student-run pro-bono legal clinic that provides free legal advice and representation on primarily housing and employment matters to individuals in North East Scotland who are ineligible for legal aid. Services are delivered by University of Aberdeen law student volunteers under the supervision of qualified Solicitors, and are complemented by community and schools outreach programmes covering legal education, consent, digital crime, mock trials, employability skills, and legal research support for third-sector organisations.

Product overview

The Aberdeen Law Project is a single, unified service offering comprising legal advice and representation for those ineligible for legal aid, combined with extensive community outreach and education programs. The core offering includes the Representation Team providing free legal services in Housing, Employment, and Consumer law matters, supported by Schools' Outreach Programs (Mock Trials, Legal Launch, Digital Crime Awareness, Health and Addiction Awareness), Community Outreach Programs (Prisons, Homelessness, Domestic Abuse Prevention, Immigration, Hate Crime Awareness), the Amber Light Project on consent education, and a recently launched Advice Note Service for one-off legal queries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Advice and Representation Free legal advice, casework and representation in primarily housing and employment matters, delivered by trained student volunteers supervised by qualified Solicitors, to individuals in North East Scotland who are not eligible for legal aid. Includes legal research, drafting of letters, legal opinions, settlement negotiation, and representation in Court or Tribunal proceedings.
• Advice Note Service Free one-off legal advice service providing written advice and opinions on single legal issues that do not require ongoing representation, covering housing, employment, consumer issues, loan recovery, and discrimination matters.
• Schools' Outreach Programmes Educational programmes delivered in primary and secondary schools including Mock Trials (Harry Potter and Avengers themed), Legal Launch (legal-career guidance and UCAS support), the Digital Crime Awareness Project (DCAP), and the Health and Addiction Awareness Project (HAAP).
• Community Outreach Programmes Community engagement initiatives including the Prisons Project (employability workshops delivered in Scottish prisons in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service), Homelessness Outreach (including the OutFit Like scheme), Domestic Abuse Prevention and Legal Consent workshops, Immigration and Integration support, Hate Crime Awareness, Renters' Rights and Employment Rights education, and Business Initiative support.
• Amber Light Project Project aimed at confronting misinformation around what constitutes sexual assault and debunking myths through various initiatives, including consent education workshops delivered to schools and community groups.
• Legal Research Services Legal research and support provided to non-governmental and third-sector organisations by ALP student members, coordinated through ALP's general and representation email channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 enquiries processed and ~1,000 clients represented since 2009
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• University of AberdeenflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerALP is not part of the University of Aberdeen but operates in partnership with it. The School of Law provides the physical location (Taylor Building), academic oversight through Professor Roderick Paisley and Professor Greg Gordon (Head of School of Law), and the University Development Trust provides continuing financial support. The project serves as a key experiential learning platform for law students.
• Police ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolice Scotland partners with ALP on consent education workshops delivered at the University of Aberdeen during welcome week. ALP also collaborates with Police Scotland on the Mock Trials programme and the Digital Crime Awareness Project to support justice for disadvantaged pupils.
• Grampian Women's AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALP collaborates with Grampian Women's Aid on the Domestic Abuse Prevention Project, including workshops in secondary schools and support initiatives. ALP also runs donation drives with Grampian Women's Aid.
• Faculty of AdvocatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Faculty of Advocates is listed as a partner/sponsor of ALP, indicating support for the project's mission of access to justice.
• ACVO (Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACVO is listed as a partner of ALP, supporting community engagement efforts.
• LawWorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawWorks is listed as a 'Friend' of ALP, indicating alignment with the pro bono legal services mission.
• Scottish Women's AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Women's Aid is listed as a partner, with the Domestic Abuse Prevention Project collaborating with both national and local Women's Aid organisations.
• Scottish Prison ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Scottish Prison Service is listed as a partner, enabling ALP's Prisons Project which has been running since 2010.
• University of Edinburgh Free Legal Advice ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a 'Friend' of ALP alongside other law clinic organisations, indicating a peer network of similar student-led legal projects.
• University of Dundee Law ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a 'Friend' of ALP, indicating a peer network of similar student-led legal projects.
• Aberdeen CyreniansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner, likely supporting ALP's homelessness outreach and community engagement work.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Aberdeen Citizens Advice Bureau: Local Citizens Advice Bureau serving Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire with free advice on housing, employment, consumer, and benefits matters. Directly comparable regional provider in ALP's service geography, though with a broader advisory scope.

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice Scotland: Scotland's largest independent advice network providing free, impartial advice on housing, employment, consumer, and benefits matters. Overlaps significantly with ALP's housing and employment practice areas, though at much greater scale and with broader geographic coverage.
• Shelter Scotland: Scotland's housing and homelessness charity providing advice, support, and legal services on housing issues. A broad incumbent in one of ALP's two core practice areas (housing), with significantly more resources and specialisation in housing-related legal matters.

Others

• Scottish Legal Aid Board: Public body responsible for administering civil and criminal legal aid in Scotland. ALP explicitly serves individuals who are NOT eligible for legal aid, making SLAB a structural counterparty whose eligibility criteria shape ALP's addressable demand.
• Grampian Women's Aid: Local third-sector organisation supporting women affected by domestic abuse across Grampian. ALP partners with Grampian Women's Aid on the Domestic Abuse Prevention Project and donation drives, operating as an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• University of Dundee Law Clinic: Student-led law clinic at the University of Dundee offering free legal advice to the local community. Listed by ALP as a 'Friend' organisation and shares the same student-volunteer-supervised-by-solicitors model for community legal services in Scotland.
• Strathclyde Law Clinic: Student-led law clinic at the University of Strathclyde providing free legal services in Glasgow. Directly comparable Scottish university clinic operating on a similar supervised student-volunteer model with a community access-to-justice focus.
• University of Edinburgh Free Legal Advice Project: A student-led free legal advice clinic at the University of Edinburgh providing advice on housing, employment, and other civil matters. ALP explicitly lists this clinic as a 'Friend' organisation, indicating direct peer status as a comparable Scottish student-led pro bono legal clinic.
• Glasgow University Law Clinic: Student-run law clinic at the University of Glasgow providing pro bono legal services to the local community. Comparable as another Scottish university-based pro bono clinic targeting access to justice for individuals unable to afford legal representation.

Emerging players

• LawWorks: UK-wide charity connecting volunteer lawyers with people in need of legal advice, and supporting law student pro bono through the LawWorks Student Pro Bono Awards. ALP is a 'Friend' of LawWorks, and they jointly run the Student Pro Bono Awards. Operates as an enabling/coordination body rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-aberdeen-law-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Aberdeen Law Project