Law firm gives free legal aid

Law firm gives free legal aid Arab News

JEDDAH: The law firm of Khalid Alnowaiser, with offices in Jeddah and Riyadh, plans to provide free legal advice to the victims of social crimes in conjunction with humanitarian and charitable organizations in Saudi Arabia. As the number of violent crimes and incidents of domestic violence have increased dramatically in the Kingdom, particularly in lower socio-economic populations, the Alnowaiser law firm’s free service will serve the poor and defend their rights in the courts. “We will undertake all aspects of the pleading and the defending of poor and weak people who are not able to pay attorney fees or hire defense lawyers,” said Khalid Alnowaiser. “Our offices will concentrate on these social issues and study them, so we can help try and reduce the number of domestic violence victims in the Kingdom.” According to Alnowaiser, the law firm has begun discussions at various level and is providing legal services to charitable associations in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. The firm’s goal is to create a large network of legal services for victims throughout Saudi Arabia, especially in rural areas where such services are scarce or nonexistent. Alnowaiser said, “We are already starting to review the issues that are now before humanitarian associations, so we can prepare a complete list of persons needing these services, including cases that need to be studied and defended.” Alnowaiser confirmed the importance of defining the concept of social responsibility. He added that the concept of social responsibility is not well understood by many governmental and private sectors. He also emphasized the importance of increasing the hours of voluntary work in Saudi law offices as a first step to achieve greater social responsibility. Saudi legal offices have a great opportunity to highlight the humanitarian aspects and charities serving the community and its various classes, and the general political and business climate in the Kingdom will help to apply this moral sense to reality. Alnowaiser said, “The system called ‘pro bono’ legal work or volunteerism and community service is the most important development among international law firms. Yet, more work needs to be done. For example, some British law firms are addressing the need for semi-voluntary work less frequently than American firms. British law offices achieve 30 hours per week of semi-voluntary work, while law offices in the United States rack up 54 hours per week in the area of pro bono legal services.” Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser is a columnist and a Saudi attorney with offices in Riyadh and Jeddah. He can be reached at: Khalid@lfkan.com and/or Twitter (kalnowaiser)