Our history

The national Law Centre movement was started in the 1970s by radical lawyers who were disappointed in the failure of the welfare state to eradicate poverty and deliver a more equal society.

Coventry Law Centre was founded in 1976 by four Councillors: Tom McLatchie, Gilbert Richards, Arthur Waugh Senior and Charles Ward. Coventry City Council has been a key supporter of our work ever since.

Central England Law Centre Ltd was formed after Coventry Law Centre opened an office in Birmingham in 2013.

Over the last 40 years, the Law Centre has evolved in response to the changing needs of our clients and changes to the public funding of legal advice but we have never wavered from our focus on improving the lives of our community, here are some examples from then and now:

Latest

Council Tax Support - Birmingham

COVID-19 Council Tax Hardship Payments
New Toolkit launched to help students with humanitarian protection access home fees and student finance

A practical guide for students in England who have been granted humanitarian protection [HP] and who want to go to university.
Black Lives Matter

We stand in solidarity with Black communities at home and around the world. Black Lives Matter at Central England Law Centre and they always will.
Our experience providing legal advice during the pandemic - picking up the pieces

Trustee Keith Wilding and CEO Sue Bent assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and question the wellbeing of the poorest in society both now and in the post-lockdown world.

Contact Us
Who we help

All of our services are free. We prioritise people who would not otherwise be able to access legal advice and representation.
Volunteer

The Law Centre is a resource for the whole community and we rely on our amazing team of volunteers help us reach more people with our services.
Work for us

Join our team and be part of a cutting edge team using the law to fight social exclusion in society.
Our Vision

We want to live in a society where people’s rights are upheld, their needs met and they are enabled to thrive. We are the largest Law Centre in the UK. We provide free specialist legal advice to people across central England.
Child and Family Law

Following the breakdown of a relationship, we provide advice and representation on all aspects of family and childcare law.
Asylum and Immigration Law

Legal advice and representation to people seeking to regularise their immigration status.
Funding

All our services are free funded by a wide range of partners and supporters.
Our history

The national Law Centre movement was started in the 1970s by radical lawyers who were disappointed in the failure of the welfare state to eradicate poverty and deliver a more equal society. Coventry Law Centre was founded in 1976 by four Councillors: Tom McLatchie, Gilbert Richards, Arthur Waugh Senior and Charles Ward. Coventry City Council has been a key supporter of our work ever since.
Our impact

Every day we help people to know their legal rights and have them upheld. We change the lives of the people we help, and change society to make it fairer for all and more equal.