Free Legal Aid Clinic Resolves 340 Cases for Marginalised Women

In 18 months of operation, Hemlata Foundation's Free Legal Aid Clinic has successfully resolved 340 cases for marginalised women — a number that represents 340 families where the law finally worked for the powerless.

The clinic operates from the foundation's Katihar center and through monthly mobile camps in rural areas. A panel of 12 pro bono lawyers from Patna High Court volunteers bi-weekly. Three paralegals trained by the foundation handle intake and documentation.

Case breakdown reveals the nature of women's legal challenges in rural Bihar: 142 domestic violence cases (42%), 97 land and inheritance disputes (28%), 58 dowry-related matters (17%), 23 child custody cases (7%), and 20 other matters (6%).

Landmark outcomes include winning back 14 bigha of agricultural land for a widow whose in-laws had fraudulently transferred ownership, securing a ₹5 lakh domestic violence compensation for a survivor, and preventing 8 child marriages through court intervention.

"Legal aid is not charity — it is access to a fundamental right," said Hemlata Foundation Legal Advisor Advocate Priya Tiwari. "These women are not asking for sympathy; they are claiming what is theirs under the law."

The clinic operates on a zero-cost model for beneficiaries and has trained 45 community legal literacy volunteers who act as first responders in villages, identifying cases and guiding women to the clinic.