As the 2024 Summer Olympic Games begin, the Paris Bar Association has announced a major initiative to provide free legal advice and services for residents and visitors throughout the event. 

The initiative spans from July to September 2024 and aims to ensure everyone can access legal help when needed. It offers 24/7 access to legal consultations via a dedicated hotline where individuals can receive a free 20-minute legal consultation on various topics, including housing, employment, family, criminal and consumer law. 

This hotline is part of a broader campaign by the Paris Bar to ensure that the rights and needs of all visitors and residents are addressed during the Games, following a call for participants in May. It has also issued detailed guidance for lawyers to navigate the city during the Games.

Pierre Hoffman, the president of the Paris Bar, told GLP that approximately 220 lawyers would offer advice via the telephone scheme, saying they were “ready to answer the questions and concerns of visitors, athletes and Parisians” and to answer calls in French and English. At the same time, litigants can be directed to participating pro bono lawyers who together speak 29 languages. 

The Paris Bar has also strategically set up multiple “Solidarity Buses” across the city. These mobile legal clinics will operate at different times and locations throughout Paris, including in the 13th, 18th, 14th, 17th and 20th arrondissements. The buses will provide walk-in legal consultations from Monday to Saturday, covering various areas of law to accommodate issues that individuals might face.

For more specific needs, the Paris Bar has organised specialised legal consultation centres for victims of domestic violence and foreign nationals, including asylum seekers. These centres are designed to provide tailored advice and support to vulnerable groups and are strategically located in areas like Place de la Chapelle and Avenue de la Porte Aubervilliers.

In collaboration with other partner organisations, the Paris Bar will continue to provide volunteer-led legal consultations throughout the summer. The Bar said such services were crucial in offering ongoing support and ensuring access to justice during the Olympic Games.

In addition, the Paris Bar has created support services specifically for women who are victims of gender-based or sexual violence. These services consist of specialised advice centres that are open throughout the summer. They offer helplines and in-person consultations to provide support and legal solutions for those impacted, the helplines for which will be located in a designated safe space on the forecourt of Paris’ City Hall (Hôtel de Ville).

Anne Souléliac, head of the International Department of the Paris Bar Association, said on LinkedIn: “This will help all visitors in Paris find legal assistance easily if needed.”

She added: “This extensive legal support framework established by the Paris Bar Association indicates their proactive approach to ensuring that the 2024 Summer Olympic Games are safe, just and accessible for all attendees. The initiative underscores the legal community’s role in promoting an inclusive and supportive environment during significant international events.”

French lawyers competing in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games include the wrestler Emma Luttenauer, kayaker Eugenie Dorange and Paralympian Renaud Clerk, a middle-distance runner.  

Hoffman said his message to visitors and residents alike was simple. “We, as lawyers, have a collective responsibility to ensure that justice continues to operate efficiently and without compromise. We have decided to fully commit ourselves to ensure that every litigant, whether defendant or victim, receives an adequate defence. It is important that anyone who may need a lawyer has access to one.”

Hoffman added that the Games allowed French lawyers to promote “Paris, City of Law” and that legal advice in all areas of the law would be sought during this period. “It will be a good occasion to showcase the full range of skills available to the Paris Bar and its ability to handle any situation,” he concluded.

In case of assistance, the Paris Bar Association’s telephone number for advice in Paris is +33 (0) 806 142 142 for a free 20-minute legal consultation.