Mary Ward Legal Centre Volunteer

Applications for this opportunity are closed.

About Mary Ward Legal Centre  

The Mary Ward Legal Centre provides free, independent advice to people who live and work in London to help them access their legal rights and entitlements. They provide specialist advice in Housing, Welfare Benefits and Debt. They also provide free legal advice as part of our Pro Bono clinic in the areas of Employment, Housing, Small Claims, Consumer, and Family. Their services are targeted at people on low incomes, and most advice services have specific eligibility criteria.  

  

Student volunteer placement at MWLC  

Mary Ward has 3 placement opportunities, 1 in their debt team, 1 in their welfare benefits team, and 1 opportunity in their access to legal services team.   

   

Debt team  
  • provide a quality frontline enquiry service to service users 
  • initial enquiries to inform assessment and triage decision 
  • accurately log online enquiries  
  • assessing the nature and urgency of client enquiries and liaising with colleagues to arrange appointments  
  • providing information about the services available at the Centre 
  • Identify high-risk concern and cases 
  • maintain accurate and up-to-date records, case files, systems and databases to ensure the effective management of your work 
  • maintaining clear and accurate records  
  • undertaking administrative tasks on computer and case management system 
  • communicating with clients over different mediums, including telephone, email and face-to-face 
  • determining appropriate pathways for referrals and signposting 
  • signposting clients and providing information about other local advice services 
  • handling difficult situations: e.g. distressed clients 
  • arranging and updating information materials 
  • research  

  

Welfare Benefits team  
  • provide a quality frontline enquiry service to service users 
  • initial enquiries to inform assessment and triage decision 
  • accurately log online enquiries  
  • assessing the nature and urgency of client enquiries and liaising with colleagues to arrange appointments  
  • providing information about the services available at the Centre 
  • Identify high-risk concern and cases 
  • maintain accurate and up-to-date records, case files, systems and databases to ensure the effective management of your work 
  • maintaining clear and accurate records  
  • undertaking administrative tasks on computer and case management system 
  • communicating with clients over different mediums, including telephone, email and face-to-face 
  • determining appropriate pathways for referrals and signposting 
  • signposting clients and providing information about other local advice services 
  • handling difficult situations: e.g. distressed clients 
  • arranging and updating information materials 
  • research 
  • attending client interviews (with a supervisor) 
  • drafting attendance notes 
  • making telephone calls to third parties (GPs, Tribunals Service, DWP) to progress cases 
  • other casework tasks where appropriate  

  

 Access to Legal Services team (ALS)  
  • Provide a triage service to those contacting the Legal Centre and provide other administrative support. 
  • Triage telephone, online and face-to-face contact from the public and organisations to assess suitability for accessing services at the Legal Centre (including assessing eligibility for Legal Help) or signposting accordingly. 
  • Handle bookings and cancellations. 
  • Maintain records of client contact. 
  • Provide support to the Legal Centre’s pro bono service, including dealing with correspondence, liaising with the volunteer lawyers, and ensuring deadlines are met. 
  • Provide other administrative support including, data entry, dealing with incoming and outgoing post, and other reasonable tasks that may be required.  

  

Training and Supervision    

Mary Ward will provide the appropriate basic training appropriate for which team the student volunteer is joining. 

All students will receive the CAJ Mandatory Volunteer training, which covers data protection and confidentiality, working with vulnerable clients, professional conduct and regulation, self-care, and our expectations of CAJ volunteers. These will take place on October 22, October 29, and November 12. 

    

Pro Bono Skills Development Framework    

The Centre for Access to Justice now offers all students engaged in voluntary pro bono the opportunity to participate in the Pro Bono Skills Development Framework. This framework allows you to reflect on the skills gained during your placement, aligned with the Aurora Competence Framework. Completing it earns you a Certificate of Commitment to Pro Bono, acknowledging your dedication and skill development. Your participation will help you document and showcase the valuable competencies you've developed, however, please note that participation in the PBSDF scheme is entirely voluntary and will not affect your placement in any way.   

  

 

Eligibility and Time Commitment

This opportunity is open to LLB students in Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and LLM Students.   

1 day in-person every week for the whole academic year (i.e. to June) – with a break for exams in April/ May. Starts November 2025.  

  

Debt: Must be available on Fridays  

Welfare Benefits: Monday or Wednesday 

ALS: Monday or Friday  

  

Please note that all positions are in-person. The ALS placement will be in Holborn, and the Debt and Welfare Benefits placements will take place at either of Mary Ward’s locations in Stratford or Holborn.  

Stratford address: 275-285 High Street, E15 2TF 

Holborn address: 10 Great Turnstile, WC1V 7JU  

 

  

How to Apply    

Applications for this opportunity will open on 22 September 2025. Please apply via the online application form .  

The deadline for submitting an application is 22nd October 11:30AM. Interviews will take place on October 27th. Please ensure that you are available on October 27th to interview.  

When applying, please make sure you have completed the CAJ Equality and Diversity Monitoring Questionnaire. You only need to complete this once per academic year.   

Please note the Centre for Access to Justice strongly discourages use of artificial intelligence in applications. Use of content generated by artificial intelligence in your application may affect your chance of success.  

Should you have any questions, please contact Annika Melwani at annika.melwani@ucl.ac.uk.