Induction and training for law student clinic volunteers

If you are new to the law, to pro bono volunteering, to work in a clinic setting, or to working with vulnerable clients, the videos and resources below will provide you with short introductions to some of the things you may need to consider during your pro bono work.

Contents

1. Welcome and introduction from LawWorks
2. Rule of law
3. Volunteering in the not-for-profit sector
4. Professionalism
5. Working with vulnerable clients
6. An introduction to equality, diversity and inclusion
7. Client confidentiality and GDPR
8. Interviewing and note taking skills
9. Letter writing and legal research skills
10. Student wellbeing
11. Distress and vicarious trauma
12. LawCare
13. LexisNexis resources
14. Regulation and supervision

Welcome and introduction from LawWorks

Rebecca Howell provides a brief overview of LawWorks and our programmes.

Rule of law

James Harper, Executive Sponsor, Rule of Law and CSR for LexisNexis UK & Ireland talks about the principle of The Rule of Law and its fundamental significance in the context of pro bono volunteering.

Volunteering in the not-for-profit sector

Judi Lincoln, Norwich Community Law Services talks about volunteering in the not-for-profit sector

Professionalism

An in-house banking solicitor introduces professionalism with reference to codes of conduct, the Pro Bono Protocol, and ethics: what students need to know and be aware of now and throughout their careers as lawyers.

Working with vulnerable clients

Eleanor Barrow, LawWorks talks about working with vulnerable clients.

An Introduction to equality, diversity and inclusion

Suzy McGarrity of LawWorks Cymru provides an introduction to the important concepts of equality, diversity and inclusion and how these apply in a clinics setting.

Client confidentiality and GDPR

Rebecca Howell, Head of Clinics at LawWorks provides a summary of relevant data protection law and processes, and how these might apply in clinics.

Interviewing and note taking skills

Laura Hyde, Aston University, gives an introduction about how to interview clients and take effective notes. 

Letter writing and legal research skills

Matthew Gray, University of Law - Manchester, introduces students to letter writing and legal research skills.

Wellbeing

Richard Owen, Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, will introduce issues of student wellbeing, resilience, safeguarding issues. 

Distress and vicarious trauma

Suzy McGarrity, Engagement and Training Officer at LawWorks Cymru talks about how working with clients can affect you emotionally in both the short and long term.

LawCare

LawCare is the mental health charity for the legal sector, offering free, confidential emotional support, peer support, and information to people working in law in the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. LawCare also advocates for improvements in mental health practices within legal workplaces, and actively leads cultural transformation through education, training, and research.

LawCare offers a safe and confidential space to talk, without judgement, whether you’re just having a bad day, or you are facing something more longer lasting. All LawCare’s helpline volunteers and staff have experience in the legal sector and understand the particular pressures that you may face. If you need support, call LawCare on 0800 279 6888, email support@lawcare.org.uk, or visit www.lawcare.org.uk to use the live online chat. LawCare’s website also has lots of information (articles, stories, videos and podcasts) on mental health and wellbeing.

LexisNexis resources

Membership of LawWorks and/or the Clinics Network may grant you various benefits such as:

• Access to Lexis+ (online legal library)
• Clio case management system

Ask your clinic supervisor about access to these services. You can also visit our training and events or resources website pages for training on practice skills and substantive law.

Regulation and supervision

Updated September 2024