If I had to do it all over again, I’d definitely get involved with pro bono work during my LL.B., rather than waiting to after qualification.  There’s is no better way to learn client care and how to apply the law to real life situations. Pro Bono’s a great way to make a positive contribution to someone else’s life – and It can also set you apart from the pack and help bolster training contract and pupillage applications.

Law students in London have the opportunity to get involved with awe inspiring and popular organisations like Amicus and the Free Representation Unit . These guys require potential volunteers complete their in-house training before they turn them loose on the public. It will therefore take time to get up and running and, even once you get signed-off, you will be competing with other volunteers for work.

Law Centres are a bit more rough and ready and most can use as many hands on deck as possible.  Students typically shadow experienced lawyers / advice workers and learn by seeing how it’s done.  I volunteer at a law centre and the variety of work definitely takes me out of my comfort zone.  In the last couple of weeks, I’ve dealt with Criminal, Housing, Family, Commercial Landlord & Tenant and Employment matters. If you don’t know the answer off the top of your head, you’re compelled to learn it fast and present it in a way that’s accessible to lay people.  There’s no better way of learning how to “think like a lawyer” than doing the business on the pitch – and shadowing students can step up to giving advice themselves fairly quickly. The straight-forward, structured and comprehensive, yet focused, approach you learn giving advice is the same approach that guarantees exam success.

While not wanting to start a stampede – if I had to do it all over again as a London law student, I’d be making an application to the Toynbee Hall as a Subsidised Residential Volunteer. What a legacy.