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

Help for partner organisatons
Help during COVID-19

We are still here to help you.
Case secures right for students with humanitarian protection to access University home fee status and student finance

This case paves the way for people granted humanitarian protection to apply successfully for home fees status and student finance pending the government’s amendment of the regulations.
Trustee Position - Unpaid

We are seeking three new trustees to join our high-calibre Board and executive team in governing the organisation and leading our strategy.

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.
Work for us

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