Mr Ricardo Villegas

Ricardo Villegas is a Senior Lecturer and a Supervising Solicitor at the Legal Advice Clinic. He has supervised students in the Legal Advice Clinic since 2020, shortly after beginning his employment at the University of South Australia. Ricardo, previously, was a Lawyer and Lecturer in Sydney. Since moving to Adelaide in 2020, he is a Member of the Law Society of SA. As a Certified Practitioner, he is licensed to give legal advice as well as to supervise students at the Clinic.

Additionally, Ricardo is a very motivated and talented course designer who has revolutionized the art of visual teaching in Law. His creative course designs have enabled students to have a firm visual understanding of the legal concepts before diving into the details of legal analysis. He has redeveloped Business Law; a course taught to external students not enrolled in a law degree. Also, he has made Companies and Partnership Law, designed and taught for the business school, into one of the highest rated courses in the University.

As a Supervisor for the Legal Advice Clinic, Ricardo hopes to inspire the students to find their true passion. The main focus during Ricardo’s supervision is that students gain as much experience as possible. Usually, Ricardo’s students end their 10-day placement with an average of 12 clients. Ricardo enables a positive work environment where students can feel challenged and their views welcomed. He creates a compassionate and efficient work environment where students are given autonomy and respect. This allows students to rise to the challenge.

As a Supervisor, Ricardo assists the UniSA students to conduct client interviews, engage in in-depth legal research, provide legal advice to clients and ensure all administrative duties associated with client files are diligently managed.

The Law Clinic is a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with members of the community who are beset with real world legal issues. The Clinic allows the students to apply their legal training, acquired after years of study, to situations that affect real people and to provide tangible assistance to members of the community who may not have had the means to obtain legal help from other sources outside their financial means.

The Legal Advice Clinic assists Clients embroiled in a variety of legal issues. Including:

Expiation Notices

Property Disputes

Divorce

Tenancy Claims

Debt Claims

Consumer Law

Business Structures

Contractual Disputes

Harassment

Civil Liability Claims

And to keep track of it all, Ricardo has engineered a visual workflow map during his supervision days that allows students to track their progress on any given matter.

Ricardo’s current research interests lie in the very act of learning and how students can best capture the valuable skills essential for their thriving future.

Qualifications

• Master of International Studies The University of Sydney

• Bachelor of Fine Arts The Florida State University