THE ROLE OF LEGAL CLINICS IN HANDLING CASES OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, A MODERN CLINICAL EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study examines the role of legal clinics in handling cases of gender-based violence from the perspective of modern clinical education. The study focuses on how legal clinics function as practical learning platforms oriented toward social justice and empowerment for victims. The research method used is a literature review by reviewing various academic sources, institutional reports, and relevant previous research findings. The study results indicate that legal clinics have a strategic function in expanding access to justice for victims of gender-based violence through advocacy activities, legal consultations, and community legal education. Through a clinical approach, law students can develop practical skills, social empathy, and the ability to apply legal theory in a humanitarian context. However, several challenges remain, such as limited human resources, minimal institutional support, and the lack of integration of clinical education into the legal curriculum in Indonesia. Going forward, strengthening legal clinics needs to be directed at collaboration between legal institutions, increasing the capacity of counselors, and utilizing digital technology as a means of expanding services (e-legal clinics). With continued development, legal clinics can become an important instrument in modern legal education that is humanistic, gender-responsive, and socially just.