The City Law School work in partnership with City St George’s Volunteering to bring you a rich mix of placement opportunities that help you grow in confidence, develop your legal skills, and make a real difference.
LawIRL gives students opportunities to develop practical legal and professional experience alongside their studies.
Our activities range from supervised client work, casework and advocacy to mock trials, structured court observation, judge marshalling and volunteering in the wider community.
Different opportunities are available at different stages of study, and some require particular legal knowledge, training or a selection process.
Undergraduate students
Undergraduate students can apply for LawIRL opportunities appropriate to their stage of study.
First-year LLB students
First-year LLB students can apply to volunteer in the Welfare Benefits Clinic. There are also opportunities to volunteer with Justice is Now, and apply for positions advertised through City St George’s volunteering.
Second-year LLB students
From the final term of the second year of the LLB, students can apply to volunteer in the General Clinic which encapsulates areas such as civil litigation, consumer, family, employment and small business.
Third-year LLB students
Third-year LLB students can apply for the wider range of opportunities within CityCLAC, subject to the eligibility, training requirements and capacity of individual clinics.
The City School Exclusion Service, The City Law School Innocence Project and the IPP Appeals Service are postgraduate opportunities and are not available to undergraduate students.
Undergraduate students may also be eligible for wider opportunities including:
- mock trials
- structured court observation projects
- judge marshalling
- volunteering through City St George’s Volunteering
- other activities advertised through LawIRL during the academic year.
Some students may also undertake practical experience through the LawIRL academic option, where available on their programme.
Postgraduate students
Postgraduate students can apply for the full range of LawIRL legal services and opportunities, with the exception of the Welfare Benefits Clinic.
Many postgraduate students participate in LawIRL on a voluntary basis alongside their studies. Depending on eligibility and availability, opportunities can include:
- CityCLAC clinics
- City School Exclusion Service
- The City Law School Innocence Project
- IPP Appeals Service
- Company Insolvency Pro Bono Scheme
- structured court observation projects
- judge marshalling
- mock trials
- other LawIRL opportunities advertised during the academic year.
Clinical Legal Education on the BVS
For students studying on the Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) programme, places on some LawIRL activities may also be available through a Clinical Legal Education option.
The activities available through the assessed option may vary from year to year and places are limited. Many BVS students and other postgraduate students volunteer with LawIRL rather than undertaking an assessed option, so Clinical Legal Education is one route into practical experience rather than the only route.
Fair access to opportunities
Demand for LawIRL opportunities regularly exceeds the number of places available.
We want as many students as possible to benefit from meaningful practical experience, so previous participation may be taken into account when some opportunities are allocated.
This means that:
- meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee a place
- some activities have an application or selection process
- previous LawIRL participation may be considered when allocating places
- students who have not previously had a substantial LawIRL opportunity may be prioritised for some activities
- availability can change depending on client demand, supervision and service capacity.
We encourage students to apply for opportunities that interest them, but students should not expect to undertake multiple substantial LawIRL activities during their studies.
Progression within a service
Some students develop substantial experience within the service in which they volunteer. Where students demonstrate sustained commitment, reliability and developing professional capability, there may be opportunities to take on additional responsibility, including progression to Senior Student Adviser.
This is progression within an existing role rather than the allocation of a second opportunity and depends on performance and the needs of the service.
How to find and apply for opportunities
Current opportunities are advertised to City St George’s students through our internal student platforms.
LawIRL SharePoint
Use the LawIRL SharePoint site to find information about our services, current opportunities, recruitment, eligibility, training and other LawIRL activity.
LawIRL Moodle
Current students can also access the LawIRL Moodle area for information and resources relating to opportunities, training and activities.
City St George’s Volunteering
Students looking for experience outside LawIRL can search the University’s central volunteering service for opportunities with charities and voluntary and community organisations.
LawIRL encourages students to broaden their experience through volunteering with charities, advice organisations and community services. City St George’s Volunteering helps students find flexible opportunities across a wide range of causes, locations and roles and provides support with finding and applying for suitable opportunities.
Law students should not restrict themselves to roles labelled “legal”. Voluntary-sector experience can develop communication, problem-solving, teamwork, professionalism and an understanding of the wider social context in which legal problems arise.
Before you apply
Please check the eligibility criteria and commitment required for each opportunity before applying. Some LawIRL services involve working with real clients or sensitive case material and require students to complete training and comply with the professional, confidentiality and data protection requirements of the service.
Current recruitment information on SharePoint and Moodle should be treated as the most up-to-date source of information about available places.