Shelter – Court Desk Volunteers
About the project
This project was designed around Shelter’s duty solicitor housing possession court desk, which provides urgent, bespoke legal advice to those who need it most – people facing possession proceedings, who have usually had no access to legal advice before.
Ruth Camp, Duty Solicitor for Shelter, partnered with the University of Hertfordshire to create a mutually beneficial relationship which provides law students with practical experiences and supports a busy solicitor trying to give comfort to clients and offer proper access to justice in a timely manner.
The students are taught about the law and procedure of possession cases, plus interviewing and case management skills. They get first-hand experience in interviewing very vulnerable and often very anxious defendants. They get to shadow Ruth’s advocacy and negotiation, and see judges in action. They learn to understand the court environment and see how best to support the duty solicitor.
Role of student volunteers
The student volunteers assist the duty solicitor with triaging the cases by managing the queue of waiting clients, interviewing clients to find out basic essential information, recording client details and helping with the completion of legal aid paperwork. They also assist clients with their paperwork and facilitate communication between the clients and the duty solicitor, usher and others in court.
The students also have the opportunity to observe negotiations and court hearings. As a result of the help provided by students, the Court Duty solicitor has been able to increase the number of people she can assist.
How do I volunteer?
If you are a current student, please check the pro bono pages on your programme site on Canvas.
If you’re a prospective student and want to learn more, you can contact us as soon as you have accepted your offer by emailing the team.