We are temporarily pausing our volunteer project due to an increased demand for places. We plan to reopen towards the end of January 2025. If you apply during this time, please note that we may not respond immediately, and interviews will not be conducted until the project resumes.
Are you interested in volunteering?
This helpline is a low cost service providing advice and guidance to families about child, education and family law.
We provide full training on child, family and education law and many of our volunteers have subsequently been employed by us.
Our volunteers usually work with us one full day a week every week for a minimum of three months. We operate a one month probationary period.
We do request that our volunteers have studied or are in the process of studying either family, child or education law.
Do you have a legal background?
If you have a law degree, GDL, LPC, or BPTC, or are currently studying for any of these qualifications, you can volunteer with us as a legal adviser, providing advice on child, family, and education law in England.
Application form
For more details, please download our information pack which contains an application form:
Feedback on our volunteer project
Our Advisors say:
The CLAS volunteer project has been very popular. We have taken on law students as well as legal professionals returning to work or seeking a career change. Volunteers are fully trained in child, family and education law and supported by a team of trained professionals. Our volunteers develop key communication skills, drafting skills and legal research skills and are given a lot of responsibility. They are not simply making the tea!
Previous volunteers say:
Volunteering at the Child Law Advice Service for a few months before attaining a permanent position in the organisation proved to be an invaluable experience in my legal career. One of the unique aspects about the Child Law Advice Service is the exposure to direct client contact very early on working with a range of people who call into the service. Consequently my interviewing and advising skills have improved significantly which forms an integral skill for a legal professional.
I found volunteering for CLAS was an invaluable experience. I volunteered with CLAS whilst completing my law degree and found it complemented my studies. The placement enabled me to develop my knowledge in family law and learn about education law which is not a course covered by most universities. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to develop my communication and research skills which are essential for a career in law. The placement was rewarding as I was able to help people to tackle their legal problems. It is vital to obtain as much experience as possible as this will put you in a good position for a future in law.
My placement at the Child Law Advice allowed me to understand the reality of applying the law I learnt during my degree to real cases. It taught me the value in giving people accurate, professional and reliable legal advice to help them navigate themselves throughout the family legal system in the UK. Most importantly, it honed my skills of legal intellect and etiquette, developing my abilities as a legal advocate into ones that can visibly make a difference and help people who truly need it.
I am a final year LLB Law student from the University of Essex. I have volunteered at the Child Law Advice Service two days per week for four months now, and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience so far. I decided to apply for a volunteer role at CLAS as I have a keen interest in family law and hope to practice it after graduating. After securing my placement at CLAS, I decided to enrol on the placement module at university so I could gain academic credit for my volunteering. CLAS knew of the module having had students from the module previously, so they were aware of the process and the forms that needed signing. The training was comprehensive and well structured, and I felt comfortable when it was time to begin advising on the telephone. Once my hours for the placement were completed, I decided I wanted to continue volunteering at CLAS in order to continue expanding my family law knowledge and gain more experience before graduating and getting a job. My time so far at CLAS has been so valuable, everyone is so knowledgeable and friendly and I have learned so much in the short time I have been here. I would recommend volunteering at CLAS to anyone with an interest in family law.
We are proud to work with the University of Essex.
