Volunteering

Do you have time on your hands? Do you want to fill it with exciting, interesting and fufilling work for a registered charity which provides legal support and advice to those who can’t afford private practice solicitors?

North Kensington Law Centre (NKLC) was established in 1970, the first Law Centre in the country to provide free, independent high quality specialist legal advice to those in the community who could not afford to pay for it and in doing so to promote equality of access to justice and opportunity.

About 75% of our time is spent on providing a legal casework service in complex cases, which often involve tribunal or court proceedings. NKLC is also a very busy community advice centre and reception deals with an extremely high number of enquiries over the year.

Volunteers play an important, integral role in the running of the Law Centre and their assistance is invaluable for staff: without volunteers, the Law Centre would not be able to function. Volunteers are reimbursed for modest travel expenses within London as well as £3 for lunch.

INTERESTED IN WHAT WE DO? YOU CAN SUPPORT US IN 2 WAYS:

Reception/Admin Volunteer

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 the friendly face that meets and greets 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. You will complete an initial screening of clients, assessing their eligibility for legal aid and taking down any details regarding their problems. You will also provide assistance to caseworkers with photocopying and other routine admin tasks as necessary. If desired the volunteer can also assist the Legal Secretary with typing.

This role is suitable for somebody with some office and customer service experience and a willingness to learn. You will need to be computer literate, preferably using MS office applications and have good communication skills. A professional approach is essential. You should be available for at least one day/week. Training and supervision is provided.

We are not currently recruiting for any reception/admin positions.

Legal Internships

This role is suitable for qualified lawyers, law graduates or equivalent.

You will be Working under the direct supervision of a Caseworker and provide legal assistance. Your support will lighten the load for the solicitors and caseworkers while gaining useful insight into legal practice in the not-for-profit sector.

WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM VOLUNTEERING AT THE LAW CENTRE?

• Opportunityto contribute for the benefit of a not-for-profit organisation
• Opportunityto gain full time employment
• Opportunityto develop your existing skills and acquire new ones
• Experience of working in a Law Centre
• Opportunityto meet new people

WHAT DO WE ASK FOR IN RETURN?

• A regular time commitment:Candidates are expected to be available for at least 3 days per week for 3 months (in some cases, interns may stay on for longer than 3 months)
• A commitment to Equality and Diversity and Confidentiality
• A willingness to learn new skills and develop existing ones
• A willingness to be flexible

If you think you may be interested in volunteering with North Kensington Law Centre, please download and complete the volunteer application form and send it to:

Sana Alhadad

Volunteer coordinator

North Kensington Law Centre

74 Gorse Road

London W10 5PS

or via email at: sana@nklc.co.uk