Pro bono

Student Volunteering

During or after your studies with The Law School at The Open University, you may like to consider volunteering for charitable legal work. Volunteering to work without payment is often described as 'Pro bono'. This is a shortened form of the Latin phrase 'Pro bono publico', which means 'for the public good'.

You may wish to volunteer for pro bono legal work out of personal interest and a desire 'to give something back'. If your aim is to become a paralegal, solicitor, barrister, or other legal advice worker, pro bono activity in a legal field may provide useful work experience for your CV and may help to show evidence of your commitment. It may also help you to secure your first law job.

The Open University Law School does not itself organise pro bono activities for students as it has thousands of students in the UK and many other countries. But this is something which you should be able to organise for yourself.

LawWorks is a charity which aims to provide a wide variety of pro bono opportunities. Find out more on the LawWorks website.

They also have a list of Student Volunteering opportunities in various organisations in the UK.

Citizens Advice

Did you know that by becoming a volunteer legal advisor at your local Citizens Advice Bureau you can earn up to six months reduction in your training contract to become a solicitor?

The time volunteered will be considered at half equivalent. That means volunteering at Citizens Advice for twelve months could get your training contract reduced by six months.

Gaining the legal training and legal skills may also make it easier to get the training contract you want in the first place.

For further information on becoming a volunteer for your local Citizens Advice Bureau visit the Citizens Advice website.