Volunteering and Pro Bono Opportunities
Volunteering and Pro Bono Opportunities
the possibilities are endless...
Here's a sample of the many pro bono opportunities on offer for students.
Pro Bono UK
This very useful website will identify the advice organisations working in your area. It has a section devoted to students.
LawWorks
This organisation used to be called the Solicitors Pro Bono Group. Its website is a good source of advice and information, including details of student membership.
The AIRE Centre
This organisation provides information and advice throughout Europe on international human rights law, including the rights of individuals under the provisions of European Community law. It also offers direct legal advice and assistance on a case-by-case basis to legal practitioners or advisers. Internships are available for students who have a good working knowledge of international human rights law and EU law. Students must be able to commit themselves to a minimum of one day per week. A second European language is an advantage. website
Amicus
This charity provides assistance to US attorneys working on death row cases. It gives training and arranges internships in the USA for UK postgraduate students. As internships are unpaid (though a limited number of scholarships do exist), interested applicants should have a plan for funding the placement. website
Bar Pro Bono Unit
Established in 1996 by Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith QC, the unit matches individuals in need of legal representation with barristers in private practice willing to undertake work on a pro bono basis. Opportunities are available for students to provide administrative support to the unit on a part-time basis. This could mean anything from envelope stuffing to allocating cases to members of the panel. website.
Citizens Advice Bureaux
The Citizens Advice service has over 22,000 volunteers in over 2,000 bureaux. Those with real commitment and enough time can train with the CAB on its Adviser Training Programme to gain a widely recognised qualification that may subsequently enable your law firm training contract to be reduced by up to six months. Not all volunteers have the time or the inclination to train as advisers, so if admin, IT or reception work is enough for you, why not request one of these roles or offer to help out with publicity and media activities. Debt, benefits, housing, employment, consumer issues, family matters and immigration are the most commonly raised problems, some six million of which are handled each year. website
Independent Custody Visiting
Independent custody visiting began in the wake of the Scarman Report following the Brixton riots of 1981. Independent custody visitors (ICVs) work in pairs, conducting regular unannounced checks on police stations in their area to monitor the welfare of the detainees. Anyone over the age of 18 can apply to become an ICV. The Independent Custody Visiting Association website contains full details. website
Law Centres
Law centres provide free and independent legal services to people who live or work in their catchment areas. Their work is typically in fields where legal aid is not available – eg employment and immigration law. Working at a law centre is very much a career in itself; however, many centres accept student volunteers to provide administrative support and assistance with casework. The website provides links to individual law centres across the UK.
Liberty
This is a well-established human rights organisation providing advice and representation to groups and individuals in relation to domestic law cases involving the Human Rights Act. Liberty has opportunities for a small number of students to provide general office assistance and help with casework. Students should be able to commit at least one day a week. website
Victim Support
The Victim Support Witness Service operates in every Crown Court across England and Wales, providing guidance and support to witnesses, victims and their families before, during and after court proceedings. Volunteers need to be able to commit at least two hours per week. website
Refugee Council
The Refugee Council is largest refugee agency in the UK with offices in the East of England, West Midlands, London and Yorkshire and Humberside. It provides advice to asylum seekers and refugees on the asylum procedure, support and entitlement. Volunteers can offer their assistance in three areas: direct services, office-based and community-based.website
