Pro Bono Opportunity with St James Legal Advice Centre

Haringey, North London

St James Legal Advice Centre (SJLAC) (www.stjameslegaladvice.org) provides free legal advice and assistance in Haringey. We work through our three drop-in clinics, which operate on Tuesday morning (Colney Hatch), Wednesday afternoon (Wood Green) and Saturday morning (Muswell Hill). Last year we assisted 440 clients with issues including housing, benefits, consumer rights, family problems, and employment.

Advice is provided by about 12 volunteer legal advisers (solicitors and barristers) operating across the three clinics on a rota basis. They are supported about 25 law students, mainly from Middlesex University.

We now urgently need more legal advisers for our Tuesday morning, Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning clinics. We’re looking for legal professionals (possibly retired or on a career break) who could give half a day a fortnight to provide advice. No experience in these areas of law is necessary or expected.

Current advisers had no experience in these areas before they started volunteering. We provide training, support and oversight to ensure that volunteer legal advisers are confident before they start giving advice on their own. Of course, if you do have expertise in relevant areas of law – that would be very welcome.

You’d be part of a great team, including a wonderful group of students from Middlesex University who provide reception, triage, research backup at the clinics.

If you have legal expertise, and some time, please consider volunteering with us. Please contact Ann Jenkins manager@stjameslegaladvice.org if you might be interested, and Ann will arrange for you to come along to one of our clinics for a taster session.

This is an ongoing opportunity.