Aarhus Retshjælp

Our history

"Year 1935 on 5 September at 4 Eftm. was held at District Attorney Kier's office in Aarhus Meeting of the following: Professor Christen Møller, who represented the Student Association's Legal Aid faction, Chief District Attorney Wilde, who appeared for the Legal Association in Aarhus and District Attorney Kier representing Aarhus Lawyers' Association. The reason for the meeting was that it was planned here in Aarhus to create a legal aid for the destitute. For that purpose, a meeting was held in the spring on a broader basis, where a letter was formulated to Aarhus City Council with a request to provide help and support for the above-mentioned purpose. The city council now submitted a letter containing a commitment to make premises available at the courthouse, to help with a library, etc., as well as a small grant for the operation.

Aarhus Legal Aid was started on the initiative of the lawyers in the city. Over the years, the connection to the University has grown, both in the form of professional contributions, but not least through the many law students who help voluntarily as advisers at the legal aid office.

Legal aid has been run by, among others, district court prosecutor Knud Kier, professor Halfdan Krag Jespersen, Søren Kjems and by professor Bettina Lemann Kristiansen.

Legal aid celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010, and a jubilee publication was published in which you can read more about the history of legal aid.