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Volunteer Training Programme with Pro Bono Community

This opportunity is now closed.

14 September 2022

The Pro Bono Community Scheme

Pro Bono Community (PBC) is a registered charity providing specialised training programmes aimed at equipping law students, trainees and lawyers with the skills, knowledge and expertise to become effective volunteers and placing them in Law Centres and advice agencies. 

PBC have kindly agreed to train and place 15 volunteers to undertake a 2 day training programme and will subsequently place students in Law Centres and advice agencies. 

There are two components to the scheme: an online training programme and a volunteer placement at an advice agency. PBC’s welfare benefits law for volunteers training programme will take place over two afternoons and includes group work, exercises and case studies. The training will provide an introduction to legal advice and an overview of the social security system with an emphasis on key aspects of welfare benefits law.  

What will students gain from this scheme?

  • The structured training will equip students to work as volunteers, provide them with the skills for practice and develop their practical knowledge of legal processes. It provides students with the confidence they need to get the most out of their placement.
  • The volunteering placements help to develop interpersonal and client management skills, whilst assisting with casework improves drafting, case management and advocacy abilities. There may also be opportunities for in-person or remote client-facing work and assisting on appeal cases.
  • Students who attend the course and complete their volunteering placements will receive the Pro Bono Volunteer Training Certificate which is endorsed by City Law School and certifies that they have successfully completed the course, rendering them more attractive to employers by demonstrating that they are committed, motivated and have the skills necessary for practice.
  • The scheme provides students with in-depth instruction in welfare benefits law which is an interesting and very topical area of law. The placement is a rare hands-on opportunity to gain exposure to law in practice.

Volunteering at Law Centres and Advice Agencies

PBC will coordinate volunteering placements for students at Law Centres and other advice agencies across the UK where they will be able to put theory into practice and gain valuable client-facing experience. Please note that students must be living in the UK to participate, as most agencies will not take on volunteers based overseas. 

Students will be required to commit to undertaking volunteering placements of or equivalent to at least one day per week for 6 months (Law Centres and advice agencies have different policies in respect of the level of commitment expected of volunteers). The longer the placement the more you will benefit from the experience.

It is important that students who sign up for the training understand that the volunteering is not optional and only those who complete their volunteering placements satisfactorily will receive the Pro Bono Community Volunteer Training Certificate endorsed by City Law School. When selecting students for the programme, PBC will show preference to applicants who can demonstrate the commitment required and are flexible as to when or where they undertake their placements. We expect to start placing students from November 2021 onwards. At this stage it is not clear whether placements will be remote or in person, most likely they will be a mixture of both. If you have a strong preference for a remote or in person placement you should note this on the application form but preference will be shown to students who can be flexible.  

PBC will coordinate the placements in conjunction with the agencies and will provide students with relevant contacts and information. Volunteers will be required to maintain records of the work they undertake during their placements and make these records available through PBC’s online volunteering portal.

Time commitment 

  • Attend mandatory two day training on Wednesday 26 October 2022, 14.00 - 17.30 and Wednesday 2nd November 2022, 14.00 - 17.30. 
  • Undertake a volunteering placement of or equivalent to at least one day per week for 6 months. These placements will begin from November 2022 onwards following the training. The volunteer placement will be arranged and organised by Pro Bono Community.

Who can apply

  • All LLB and LLM Students.

How to apply 

This opportunity is now closed.