RARE OPPORTUNITIES: Weekly Internships with Bar Pro Bono Unit and LawWorks

New volunteering opportunities at the Bar Pro Bono Unit and LawWorks:

Commitment of one day a week (potentially one day every other week) from the end of October 2010 for a period of at least 6 months.

These are three distinct roles and you may apply for more than one so please look at each role description and specify on your form which position(s) you wish to be considered for.

Bar Pro Bono Unit Casework Intern – specification here

LawWorks Individuals Casework Intern – specification here

LawWorks Mediation Project Intern – specification here

All applications must be made on the application form that can be found here.

No applications by CV and covering letter will be accepted.

Please note that the deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 10^th October. You will be contacted shortly afterwards, you may be invited to meet staff from the organisations or to chat over the phone about the role and see if the post is a good fit.

The organisations will not be able to offer any travel or lunch expenses for these roles due to overstretched finances.

Should you have any questions please contact Ms Natalia Rymaszewska via natalia@barprobono.org.uk

Law Centre Reception and Administration Assistant Volunteers Wanted

Croydon and Sutton Law Centre is seeking Law Centre Reception and Administration Assistant Volunteers. Applicants should note that the Law Centre (79 Park Lane, Croydon, CR0 1JG) is 1 hour-1.5hours from central London (Zone 1):

Croydon and Sutton Law Centre exist to reduce poverty and promote education by helping people to understand and enforce their legal rights.

They are currently seeking reception/administration volunteers to work in our front office. By volunteering, you will help keep our services running smoothly and make a valuable contribution to the support they are able to offer members of the local communities.

They are a small, friendly office and endeavour to provide ongoing training and support to their volunteers. This role is suitable for somebody with some office experience and a willingness to learn and is a great opportunity for somebody wishing to gain experience within a law centre environment.

You will be a friendly-face to meet and greet clients and have an excellent telephone manner. The role will involve managing incoming calls and taking accurate messages, handling enquiries on the telephone and in person and booking appointments amongst other administrative duties.

Importantly, due to the time and resources invested in our volunteers, they are looking for people who can who can make a minimum commitment of one full day per week for at least six months.

For more information, please contact Laura Turner on lauraturner.swllc@yahoo.co.uk or 020 8767 2777.

Law Clinics Survey Volunteering Opportunities

Law Clinics Survey Volunteering Opportunities

LawWorks is in the process of conducting a survey of clients at all our member free legal advice clinics in order to gain a snapshot of the client activity across the country. This will enable us to keep track of what legal issues are being faced in different parts of the country, understand where we can improve delivery and become more aware of who is currently being assisted.

Due to the limited resources at many clinics some will need assistance from volunteers who will be on hand to help clients complete the Survey. We will be dealing with this on a clinic by clinic basis and initially we are in need of 7 volunteers to attend clinics run by South West London Law Centres in the week commencing 21 June.

Volunteers will need to be free to attend the clinic once and to visit LawWorks offices one afternoon to find out more about the task. If you are interested in going along to a free legal advice clinic for one weekday evening to help with this process then please e-mail Sarah Cox sarah.cox@lawworks.org.uk

LawWorks Opportunities

LawWorks is recruiting for two part-time positions for next year. They are both paid and the deadline is 5th July. It is an independent charity that aims to increase the delivery of free legal advice to individuals and community groups in need. It does this by supporting, promoting and encouraging a commitment to pro bono legal advice across the legal profession.

For full details of the application process, job description and more details about the charity, please visit our website http://lawworks.org.uk/?id=jobs

Project Officer - Choices and ALLIES Projects

Salary: NJC point 23 (£23,497 inc ILW)
Hours: 24 hours per week

We require a Project Officer for the Choices and ALLIES (A Local Lawyer in Every School) Projects. The post holder will administer the matching of pro bono opportunities with solicitors who are not currently employed through the Choices Project. LawWorks Choices has developed the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, which volunteers are eligible for once they have completed 40 hours of pro bono work. The scheme enables volunteers to obtain a guaranteed interview with a LawWorks member firm when a position is available for which they are qualified. The post holder will liaise with law firms in relation to this scheme. The role will also involve providing administrative support to the ALLIES project which encourages lawyers to become school governors. You will be an excellent communicator, highly organised and ideally have some knowledge of the legal profession and/or the third sector.

Closing date: 5 July 2010 Interviews: 13-15 July 2010

Training Officer

Salary: NJC point 23 (£23,497 inc. ILW) pro rata
Hours: 21 per week split over at least 4 days per week.

We currently have a vacancy for the position of Training Officer. This person is responsible for organising LawWorks’ CPD accredited training programme for legal advice clinic volunteers as well as practical advice talks for community groups. You will be responsible for booking the trainers and venues as well as dealing with all the attendees using a web-based booking system.

Closing date: 5 July 2010 Interviews: 13-15 July 2010

Bursaries for Internships and Summer Opportunity at Fair Trial International

The Human Rights Lawyers Association offers bursaries up to £1000 for around 5 applicants each year to help law students through unpaid volunteering roles and internships related to human rights issues. The deadline for application for bursaries this year is 2nd May. Please see their website for more information: http://www.hrla.org.uk/Bursary.php

Summer legal internship opportunity for Fair Trial International, an organisation providing legal assistance for those being tried in a country other than their own. The unpaid internship will be for a minimum of three months with 35 hours/ week. The role involves general secretarial work as well as legal research and will start in either May or July at a date specified by the applicant. For more information: http://www.fairtrials.net/about_us/opportunities_to_work_with_us/

Volunteers needed to build a library catalogue

The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust are looking for 1-2 volunteers who can start on 8th or 9th April 2010 to enter data into their library catalogue. They aim to complete the cataloguing within 3 – 4 working days.

Who is The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust?

The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust is a charity that works to support those in extreme poverty to negotiate the justice system. Their vision is justice for the vulnerable debtors: everyone has the right to help/representation in court.

They take on individual cases of vulnerable people who are faced with harsh enforcement of council tax, rent, fines and tax credit overpayments.

They also lobby Parliament and pursue test cases through the courts when the law or the benefits system is unfair.

Please visit their website www.z2k.org for more information on the work they do. There is also an article in the Times about what they do: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6194133.ece


Role:

Their charity has many research materials, articles, documents with regards to issues such as poverty, minimum incomes, housing, bailiffs, council tax, benefits etc.

They need to build a library so that these documents can be easily found when needed.

Volunteers are sought on a one – off basis to help with cataloging these materials.

They are looking for someone who is interested in poverty issues in London, and have great organisational skills.

Where?

Their office at 34 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH (less than 5 minutes from Victoria station)

This is a good opportunity for those who are interested in poverty issues to know about research that has been carried in this area and for those with great organisational skills to find satisfaction in the creation of a library catalogue.


If you are interested in applying please send your CV and a cover email explaining why you would be suitable for this role to Lilian at admin@z2k.org

Ad Hoc Volunteers needed for Bar Pro Bono

The Bar Pro Bono Unit are looking for three to four volunteers on 8,9 and 12 April to attend their London office (in High Holborn) and help them to send out their annual review to their panel members, reviewers, management committee, donors, members of the senior judiciary and more.

You will be inserting letters and annual reviews into envelopes and sorting these to be taken to the DX exchange.

If you finish earlier than expected there may be some tasks involving updating our contact database.


They are looking for volunteers for:

* Thursday 8th April 9.30 - 16.00 (with an hour for lunch and tea breaks)

* Friday 9th April 9.30 - 16.00 (with an hour for lunch and tea breaks)

* Monday 12th April 9.30 - 16.00 (with an hour for lunch and tea breaks)


Please only apply if you

i. Are good at following instructions

ii. Take pride in your work

iii. Can concentrate on repetitive tasks!


To apply please email Ms. Natalia Rymaszewska, natalia@barprobono.org.uk , of the Bar Pro Bono to express your interest and specifying the day (s) you can do. Only successful candidates will be contacted.

Please do only email if you can definitely commit to coming in for a full day as they will be relying on your help to plan and make everything happen on time!

Their office is at:
289-293 High Holborn
London
WC1V 7HZ