Pro Bono opportunities

­­Opportunities for 'Pro Bono' (voluntary legal work)

It is ironic that when the legal profession engages in the community it has chosen a Latin tag for it! 'Pro Bono' is short for 'pro bono publico' and refers to professional work which lawyers undertake without payment.

The Law School offers a wide range of Pro Bono activities - probably one of the widest of any law school in England and Wales - and is keen to support and encourage students who participate in pro bono work. As well as being rewarding in its own right, Pro Bono experience is something future employers (legal or otherwise) increasingly look to for evidence of the practical skills graduates need to develop very early in their careers. Around a half of undergraduate Law students are engaged in some form of Pro Bono activity. The wide range of activities means that students are able to participate in an activity which matches both their interests and their ability to make the necessary commitment in terms of time and effort.

School of Law activities

The School of Law currently organises six Pro Bono initiatives:

Citizens Advice Bureau Training

The Law School provides in house training for students who wish to qualify as generalist advisors. The training period lasts for over six months and includes weekly seminars and a four day certificate course. Students then go on to work as advisors at the Reading or Wokingham or other local Citizens Advice Bureaux. Those who have volunteered for CAB have found it a very rewarding experience. It involves a heavy commitment of time and effort, but those students who are able to do so gain invaluable experience of face to face work with clients and develop client related skills that give them an advantage when it comes to starting their careers. We believe that Reading is one of only three Law Schools in England and Wales that has this provision for students to train in house as CAB advisors.

Streetlaw

The Streetlaw project involves students visiting local schools and Reading Prison to raise legal awareness by bringing aspects of law and the legal system into the community through providing lessons, assemblies, group sessions and presentations. The sessions run by student volunteers comprise part of the school citizenship curriculum. Each year students also coach pupils for a debating competition, with finals for various year groups. In terms of numbers, Streetlaw is the largest Pro Bono activity, and students find it both valuable and enjoyable.

Mediation Training with Resolve

First year students are given the opportunity to train as mediators with the organisation Resolve. The training involves students completing an accredited mediation course offered by professional trainers based at Resolve. Students are able to develop their mediation and communication skills and gain a National Open College Network qualification in mediation. Those who have taken part have found the experience immensely rewarding. Some students go on to undertake mediations within the community in their second and third years.

'Taking Charge of Your Life'

Students who have successfully undertaken the mediation training with Resolve currently assist Resolve trainers in offering this course in basic life skills to pupils at a local school. It is hoped to extend this project so that students assist in training pupils to become 'peer mediators'.

CommuniCare

A number of students attend legal advice giving sessions at a local advice agency. They sit in with qualified solicitors at these evening sessions, and assist with legal research and letter writing as necessary. Most of the clients have problems relating to employment and housing.

Red Cross Humanitarian Law Education Project

A number of undergraduate and postgraduate students studying International Human Rights Law are involved in a peer education project with the British Red Cross. The project aims to educate GCSE level students on key aspects of International Humanitarian Law as part of their Citizenship module. Reading University Law students use the knowledge obtained through their own studies to deliver sessions in local schools on this area of law. The project is coordinated by the British Red Cross and sponsored by Allen and Overy, a leading firm of City solicitors.

Other Pro Bono activities

Our students also volunteer with many different organisations, local and national. Each year the Law School holds a Pro Bono Fair which is attended by a number of organisations who offer voluntary experience for students and is a chance for students to find out more about the voluntary work available and to sign up for placements. The Law School is generally able to assist in the cost of undertaking this work by paying local travel expenses. Organisations that Reading students have volunteered with include

• Free Representation Unit
• Amicus
• Age Concern
• Reading and Wokingham Young Offenders Team
• Berkshire Witness Service and Victim Support
• Thames Valley Police
• Death Penalty Project (which makes two voluntary work placements available to Reading students annually.)

Pro Bono module

In recognition of the sizeable commitment many students make to Pro Bono work, final year students involved in Pro Bono work are able to count their experience towards a full 20 credit Pro Bono Module. Students taking the module are generally those who have volunteered with an approved organisation for a period of six to nine months; they then complete an online portfolio reflecting on various aspects of their experience and the organisation concerned. Students who make a substantial commitment to an approved voluntary organisation during the summer vacation preceding their final year may also be allowed to take this module.