On 17 October 2024, the first collaborative case discussion took place between students of the University of Johannesburg’s Law Clinic and the Student Legal Clinic at the Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Gdańsk. This initiative, launched officially in July 2024 with the signing of a letter of intent, builds on a successful three-year partnership between UJ’s Faculty of Law and its counterpart at the University of Gdańsk.

This collaboration goes beyond addressing strictly legal issues, incorporating discussions on legal tactics, strategy, professional ethics, and essential client relations skills, commonly known as “soft skills.” These aspects hold significant potential for the further development of this international partnership.

The first official meeting of the network was opened by Prof. Kathleen Van der Linde, Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. habil. Marcin Michał Wiszowaty, Vice-Dean for International Cooperation and Development, Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Gdańsk.

The session featured two case studies: a Constitutional Law case presented by UJ students and a complex case on the use of photovoltaic panels presented by students from the University of Gdańsk. The collaborative discussion brought together 13 students and four staff members from UJ, along with seven students and three staff members from the University of Gdańsk.