Legal Clinics in Chile and Latin America: Origins, Models, and Action Protocols

Abstract

This research reviews the evolution of legal clinics in Latin America, with an emphasis on the Chilean case. It identifies the main milestones and tensions of contemporary clinical-legal processes, as well as the methodologies that support their pedagogical functioning. The study describes the historical evolution of the model, classifies the different approaches applied, and critically analyzes the existence—or absence—of institutional care protocols in various law schools across the region. Additionally, it presents the pilot experience of the "Clinical-Legal Care Protocol with an Intercultural Profile for Migrant and Indigenous Populations, with a Gender Approach," developed by the Universidad Autónoma de Chile, as a pioneering model of institutional innovation. The work highlights the gaps encountered in the establishment of these clinics and emphasizes emerging good practices in clinical teaching and social justice. The methodology is qualitative and inductive, based on bibliographic and documentary review.