Legal Advice Centre Diary
This diary captures the Legal Advice Centre’s activities during the 2025–2026 academic year, celebrating the people, projects and moments that shape our work.
Entry two: Meet the team, part one
As with any great literary saga, we must begin by setting the scene. However, the LSE Legal Advice Centre is defined not so much by the space it occupies as by the people who have lovingly shaped it into existence. So that is where we begin, with the visionaries of the clinic.
At the helm of our trusty ship is a name you’ll recognise, Diana Kirsch, the clinic’s Director. Diana is by now seasoned in setting up legal clinics, having previously established BPP’s Criminal Appeals Project and the award-winning Hertfordshire Law Clinic, the Shelter Court Runner Scheme, and the Stevenage Welfare Benefits Appeals Project, after a decade of working as a criminal defence solicitor. Needless to say, she has sailed these waters before.
Supporting, and hoping to match Diana’s limitless drive is Saher Osman, the clinic’s Deputy Director and in-house Employment Law specialist. Saher has quickly learnt the ropes after joining the clinic this academic year. She has practiced employment law for 12 years, including 5 years leading the employment team at Camden Law Centre. Here she set up and ran a student volunteer partnership with SOAS and is now enjoying working with students again. Saher easily connects with clients and students alike and explains legal concepts in plain English. Despite her short time at the clinic it is evident that Saher, also a mediator, is approachable and empathetic. One might see her as a perfect port in the storm when the student advisers need guidance and reassurance.
Behnia Naemi rounds out the core team as the Legal Advice Clinic Coordinator. Behnia is tasked with supporting the development of pro bono projects and student engagement within the Legal Advice Centre. He has been an active member of two award-winning university law clinics, at Hertfordshire and King’s College London, where he contributed to cases including family, immigration, housing, and employment law. With experience spanning multiple clinics and practice areas, Behnia knows how to keep the ship running smoothly—even when the students are steering.
What initially strikes you about this crew is how they’ve created an environment where students feel supported enough to tackle challenging cases without being frozen by the weight of responsibility. It’s a delicate balance: they must provide enough guidance to prevent disasters, while allowing sufficient independence for real learning to occur.
With the clinic officially underway, Behnia is very busy booking the clinic’s first appointments. There has already been a flood of enquiries, 60 so far. That’s more than half of the total number from the clinic’s first year. To keep up with demand, the team is in the midst of training up students for the different clinics, helping them to already meet and advise clients, all whilst also actively recruiting more students to get more hands on deck.
It’s safe to say we might want to reconsider that 'setting the scene' bit, as the action is well underway.