How can I find pro bono and volunteering opportunities?

Dear Oracle

I'm keen to get involved in pro bono activities, but I don't know where to start. Can you point me in the right direction?

The Oracle replies

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Careers service

A good place to start is the careers service at your university or law school. Your institution might run its own pro bono activities, such as a law centre, which you could get involved in. If not, it should be able to help you arrange an outside placement or, at the very least, put you in touch with organisations in your area. Even if you’re a non-law student, most university law societies will let you sign up to be involved in a number of the pro bono activities and events they run.

LawWorks and the National Pro Bono Centre

LawWorks and the National Pro Bono Centre are two organisations that could help. 

LawWorks' website has a section devoted to helping volunteers find pro bono and volunteering opportunities. Meanwhile, the National Pro Bono Centre also provides a wealth of information on various pro bono opportunities for students, solicitors, barristers and in-house lawyers, offering guidance on joining existing schemes or setting up your own programme.

Appropriate Adults UK

If you can drive and don’t mind being on call outside of typical working hours, Appropriate Adults UK could be the perfect pro bono opportunity for you. The service provides support to juveniles and vulnerable adults who are being held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice for the Detention Treatment and Questioning of Persons by Police Officers or being interviewed by any statutory organisation.

Volunteering at such an organisation can help you to develop important skills such as communication, empathy and a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system. Plus, it can be an interesting experience to talk about in applications and interview.

Citizens Advice

Volunteering with the Citizens Advice is also a great way to experience working with a variety of clients in different areas of law. It’s a national network that offers free, confidential and independent advice to help people overcome issues they may be facing. More specifically, it runs a Witness Service volunteer programme. As a volunteer on this programme, you’d be supporting witnesses in court by explaining court procedures and practices, as well as giving support before the trial and on the day.

Advocate and Free Representation Unit

If you’re planning to train as a barrister, you could find Advocate and the Free Representation Unit more useful, as they specifically target this branch of the profession. They’re also one of only a few organisations that allow you to display oral advocacy in front of a genuine tribunal hearing. So, there’s no harm in reaching out to see whether they have any volunteering opportunities available.

Find out more about pro bono and how to find the right scheme for you.

Your university

Universities have a range of projects on the go, including local legal advice and Streetlaw clinics, the Innocence Project (US-based) and Pathways to Law. You can also get involved in outreach projects that aim to promote access to the profession and higher education.

In addition, for those studying at The University of Law, its website has an entire section dedicated to pro bono opportunities available on its London campuses. These opportunities will help you to develop several key legal skills such as interviewing, negotiating and drafting letters of advice, as well as important transferable skills.

Finally, take a look at LCN’s dedicated section on available pro bono initiatives and read a law student’s guide to pro bono to learn about the benefits of getting involved in pro bono work.