Who are we?

Aarhus Retshjælp has existed in its present form as a non-profit private institution since 1935 and is thus the second oldest free legal aid institution in Denmark.

More than 7000 people contact us every year, which makes us the second largest free legal aid office in Denmark.

Being a non-profit private institution makes us completely independent of private or public interest. Aarhus Retshjælp receives a yearly subsidy from The Department of Civil Affairs, which is a department under the Danish Ministry of Justice.

Aarhus Retshjælp has three managers who supervise the legal advisers; they are Charlotte Nybro and Dorte Kristiansen. Aarhus Retshjælp also employs Heidi Simonsen, Janni-Birgitte Sørensen and a parttime assistant secretary.

The legal counselling is carried out by approx. 38 legal advisers who provide free legal advice to people visiting Aarhus Retshjælp in person. The legal advisers are placed in groups of two persons; they are either law students at the university (in the last part of their education) or have just finished their masters of law. Counselling is supervised by the two managers or our four other supervisors. The legal advisers have a fixed weekly watch.

Legal counselling over the phone is only suited for simple questions which do not require review of relevant documents, and is carried out by the two managers Birthe Wang og Charlotte Nybro.

Aarhus Retshjælp is governed by a supervisory board whose members are:

  • Jens Vedsted-Hansen, master of law (chairman)
  • Karen Thegen, chief justice
  • Claus Emil Engel Johansen, lawyer
  • Manpreet Kaur Gura, bac. of law