Work experience
of Law, talks about the university’s schemes and their benefit to both students and the wider community: “Pro bono at the university consists of three broad programmes: legal advice clinics, where students answer legal enquiries from the general public under supervision; external opportunities, where students gain experience of working for not-for-profit organisations; and public legal education, raising legal awareness in communities through schemes such as the Street Law initiative. All our students are encouraged to participate, and with a wide range of several thousand opportunities and placements available each year, students can get involved whatever their field of interest. Students appreciate the many benefits that flow from developing their knowledge and skills in a challenging but secure real-life setting. The additional benefits to the wider community reinforce the positive nature of the work.” Pro bono is an excellent way for students to practise giving legal advice and also give something back to the community. A lot of firms offer pro bono services, so it’s a good skill to learn early on. Rebecca Wilkinson, chief executive of LawWorks, adds: “I’d encourage every law student to get involved in pro bono volunteering. There are a range of opportunities available, which can help you develop your practical legal skills while also helping real people in need resolve their legal problems. Win, win.” For more on LawWorks and what it does, see the ‘LawWorks’ chapter in this section. For more on getting involved with pro bono in general, see www.lawworks.org.uk. What else can I do? Staying closer to home, you could send a speculative application to local high-street law firms asking to shadow a partner (or a trainee) for a few days or offer to answer the
Law (GDL) and Bar Professional Training Course. Outside of studying, I think it was the most useful thing I did. FRU gives you the opportunity to get stuck into practical elements of law in a way that not many other pro bono organisations do. You have to meet and advise clients, run a piece of litigation on your own and ultimately may have to argue a case before the Employment or Social Security Tribunal. In short, you get real experience of what being a barrister is like.” To volunteer at FRU, candidates should book onto FRU employment and/or social security training courses that are currently held twice a year, in the spring and autumn. The training fee is £50. The dates are publicised on its website or candidates can see the dates by signing up to a training newsletter. At the moment those eligible to attend FRU training for social security cases include third-year LLB students or those who have started the GDL and, for employment cases, students who have completed their LLB or have started the GDL or postgraduate law degree. These criteria are kept under review so please check the FRU website for up-to-date details. On completion of the training, there’s a short statutory interpretation test to confirm that volunteers have the necessary legal skills. For those who pass the test, there’s an induction session and the volunteer can then select their first case. Full support is given for case preparation from the FRU legal team. To read an interview with a former FRU volunteer and the charity’s chief, see our ‘Free Representation Unit’ chapter in this section. Find out more about FRU at www.thefru.org.uk or by calling 020 7611 9555. Other pro bono work Many universities and postgraduate study providers operate pro bono clinics, which are a great chance to get involved in providing legal advice at the front line. John Watkins, director of employability at The University
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