Making a Difference Through the Policy Clinic STAR Project

Open Justice alumni and award winner Rhys Smith writes about his Policy Clinic project with Student Action for Refugees (STAR) in this blog written for Pro Bono Week 2026.

Choosing Justice in Action was a decision that challenged me, inspired me and ultimately changed my perspective on the role of law in society. Through working with fellow students and Student Action for Refugees (STAR), I gained valuable skills, contributed to a meaningful project and discovered the lasting impact of pro bono work.

Initially, I was hesitant about choosing Justice in action as my optional module choice for level 3, but I soon discovered that my hesitation was for nothing. That was because as soon as I met the other members of the Policy Clinic, I knew immediately that we were all determined to do an excellent job, particularly after we met and heard our brief from Student Action for Refugees (STAR). 

We were originally composed of two separate groups whose main task was to investigate why asylum seekers and other displaced people were not entitled to be treated as a home student for the purpose of attending higher education the UK. However, it was during the initial stages of our research that we all noticed that each group brought to the table a differing but complementary set of skills. We realised that if we came together as one group, we could produce an even better final product than we could have otherwise achieved as separate groups. By combing our skills, we created a digital tool that had been designed to help asylum seekers and other displaced people to navigate the already existing but overly complicated system of regulations and policies. The feedback that we received from both STAR and our tutors was not only incredibly positive, but it was the feeling that we contributed to furthering a great cause. This gave me and all the other members of the Policy Clinic a real sense of pride and satisfaction. 

All of this could not have been possible without the incredible effort and dedication that every single member of the Policy Clinic brought to producing a useful and above all beneficial final product. Although we may have at times experienced difficulties; we overcame those difficulties by focusing on our shared goal of wanting to do an excellent job for STAR. This experience has taught me the importance of discussion and compromise as the main ways of ensuring a successful collaborative project and that playing to our strengths is the best way to achieve a successful outcome.

I have learned an awful lot about myself through this module, and it has helped me to develop skills that I would not have otherwise had the chance to develop. I have learned emotional resilience, negotiation skills, legal research, oral advocacy, some new tech skills and how to be a better team worker. This has been without doubt the most influential module that I have undertaken at the Open University Law School and it has inspired me to be not only a better learner but also of the importance of pro-bono and volunteer work and the incredible impact that it can have in least addressing some of the access to justice problems that the legal system of England Wales in currently experiencing. This experience has embedded within me a lifelong drive to continue to participate in pro-bono and volunteering work and is also something that I will hold dear for some time to come.