Organisation offering free legal and mediation services marks 20 years serving Wicklow

By Darragh McCann, The Wicklow People

Community Law and Mediation (CLM) has been providing free legal and mediation services to Wicklow for two decades, and the county continues to play a central role in the charity’s work. In 2024, CLM dealt with 63 legal information, advice and advocacy matters in Wicklow and received 34 mediation enquiries.

Much of this work is made possible thanks to Wicklow’s committed mediation volunteers and the support they receive from the Citizens Information Centre in Bray, which provides space for services. CLM offers its full range of free supports in the county, covering housing, homelessness, social welfare, employment equality, children’s law and environmental justice.

Founded in 1975, CLM began with the belief that it would be the first of many community law centres.

“Unfortunately, we were the first and last,” said CEO Aoife Kelly Desmond. The organisation was set up at a time when Ireland was first introducing free civil legal aid, with the mission of embedding legal support in communities and educating people about their rights. “It was our mission then and it’s still our mission now,” Aoife added.

CLM does not discriminate when it comes to legal issues and offers a free clinic with a qualified lawyer for any issue a community member may have. Alongside this, Wicklow residents also benefit from CLM’s strong mediation service.

“Mediators provide mediation free of charge to help people resolve their disputes,” explained Aoife. “We also have conflict coaching. If somebody is having a conflict in their lives and they come to us, maybe they want to do mediation but the other person involved does not want to, we can give that person free conflict coaching.”

For Wicklow families and communities, this approach has proven invaluable.

“Mediation is important because ultimately, when people are having disputes, particularly with people in their family, neighbourhood or community, you want to resolve the dispute in a way that allows everyone to move forward. It is not about winning or losing; it is about helping people repair relationships and find their way forward,” Aoife said.

Recent Wicklow cases show the impact. One involved a student with a visual impairment who was expected to sit state exams on a 64-page enlarged paper. CLM successfully fought for the right to access exam papers on a laptop instead, a change that has since been adopted nationally.

At the centre of CLM’s operation is CEO Aoife Kelly Desmond. A native of Co. Cork, Aoife graduated from UCC with a law degree before beginning a successful career in the commercial law sector, working at major Dublin firms. During the pandemic she shifted into the charity sector, first at Mercy Law Resource Centre, before taking up the role of CLM CEO earlier this year.

“CLM is an inspiring organisation. Since I have been here, the six months I have been here, it has really struck me that there is such a strong team, both in terms of their ability and their strength as a group. We pride ourselves that everyone who comes to us is treated with respect. They are given the support they need and are empowered to go out and assert themselves to protect their rights, which is so valuable and so important,” she said.

CLM has offices in Dublin and Limerick that operate nationwide, but Wicklow remains a particularly important base, both for the numbers they serve and the example set by local volunteers. “Wicklow has always shown how vital mediation can be in strengthening communities,” Aoife said.

After 50 years, CLM continues to prove that access to justice can change lives. With its mix of legal advice, mediation and community support, the organisation has shown that fairness and compassion go hand in hand. As Aoife and her team look to the future, the mission remains the same as it was in 1975, to empower people, protect rights and build stronger communities in Wicklow and beyond.