Sod turning ceremony for new Kent Law Clinic building

Gary Hughes
Hon. Charles Wigoder & Vice-Chancellor by University of Kent

The sod-turning was conducted by the Hon Charles Wigoder, after whom the building will be named, and VC Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow.

Guests at the 1 July ceremony included: Elizabeth Wigoder; Her Honour Judge Adèle Williams, Canterbury Combined Court Judge; His Honour Andrew Patience QC; David and Alicia Pentin; Elizabeth Tullberg; and Professor John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Kent Law Clinic.

The £5 million building, which is located on Kent’s Canterbury campus, has been funded entirely from sponsored fundraising events and donations, each of which have been matched pound for pound by the University. These include transformational gifts from the Honourable Charles Wigoder and Dr Kennedy Wong, both of whom are Kent alumni. A full list of donors is available on the Kent Law Campaign website.

The new Law Clinic building will ensure that Law School students and staff can meet the increasing demand of the local community for their pro bono legal services and advice. The building will provide staff and students with the high standard of working conditions which they and their clients deserve, ensure it retains its leading role in clinical legal education, and exploit fully the competitive and educational advantages which the Clinic and its new mooting chamber will offer students.

The building will be completed in 2016.