Lawyers without Borders Student Division at UCL

About the project

Lawyers without Borders (LWOB) is an organisation that manages volunteering lawyers from around the world who offer pro bono services to international rule of law and human rights projects, capacity building and access to justice initiatives.

Their work helps to ensure just outcomes in controversial cases, provides much needed legal research and training in developing countries, and assists in holding governments and legal systems to account. Much of their work goes unpublicised due to its sensitive political nature in the countries in which they work. They have a network of Student Divisions all around the UK who help support their work through fundraising, research, and volunteering.

The Student Division at UCL is part of an established international network of volunteer lawyers and law students from all over the world who work on human rights and rule of law projects and access to justice initiatives as well as carrying out research and fundraising to support LWOB.

More information about Lawyers Without Borders as an organisation can be found on their website, and on their blog which students are encouraged to sign up and write for: Lawyers Without Borders Blog.

LWOB Student Division at UCL Structure and Roles: 

The LWOB Student Division at UCL works on a wide range of Human Rights-related projects, including fundraising, organising debates and other events, running a mooting competition and carrying out research in order to support LWOB. In addition, the Division aims to raise awareness of poorly understood justice mechanisms by organising workshops, lectures and seminars on the rule of law.

The Division’s Structure

The LWOB Core Division consists of the LWOB Committee and members of the LWOB Subcommittees. There are 5 subgroups, each with its own remit, with the Committee providing overall oversight. The groups will of course interact and consult with each other, but have a large degree of independence to decide their own direction of travel.

LWOB Committee 

• President: The President is responsible for overseeing the five different subcommittees at UCL LWOB. This involves coordinating and setting timelines for each team, liaising with the CAJ on events and fundraisers, and providing overall support to each of the teams.
• Co-Heads of Publications (Digital Media and Print): The Publications team produces two main publications: a weekly blog, and a termly journal. By overseeing this team, you will be responsible for helping write, edit, and publish articles to raise awareness of key human rights issues
• Head of Fundraising: The Head of Fundraising will assist the fundraising subcommittee organize events and produce creative methods to raise money for the division.
• Head of Social Media: The Social Media team is responsible for updating and expanding the division’s social media presence. This includes advertising the division’s events and publications on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Head of Events: The Head of Events will oversee the organising of events to promote awareness of the division and engage students with topical human rights discussions. Events include panel talks, debates, and moots. 
• Head of Research: The Head of Research will oversee the team conducting research into human rights and the rule of law, organise the UCL entry for the Rule of Law Innovation Challenge (ROLIC), and assist the committee with other research tasks.

Membership of the division entails a high degree of responsibility. You will be expected to meet frequently, discuss ideas, and actively pursue targets, which will be overseen by the committee. You must also sign a Volunteer Agreement with the CAJ, which outlines your commitments and what is expected of you when taking part in this pro bono project.

How to apply

Applications for research subcommittee are now open. Please complete this form to apply. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 pm, 8th December 2023.

Should you have any questions, please contact Xinyu Sia at xinyu.sia.21@ucl.ac.uk.