The Office of the Legal Aid (OLA) is an institutional unit in charge of the clinical legal education program of the University of the Philippines College of Law. Aside from providing law students with exposure to actual law practice, OLA inculcates in the minds of law students the concepts of public service and social justice by providing free legal services to those who cannot afford it. Many Filipinos find themselves involved in legal disputes requiring legal representation or simply need advice on legal issues but do not have sufficient resources to engage the services of private lawyers. OLA aims to bridge this gap by providing the legal service they need, while also giving its interns learning experience by handling actual cases.
Since it was established, OLA has provided free legal aid services to numerous clients involved in various cases, such as representation in judicial, quasi-judicial bodies, in criminal, civil, and administrative cases, contract drafting, assistance in negotiation involving security of their homes and persons, mediation and arbitration to put an end to litigation.
