Inspiring Volunteer Experiences – Muneira’s Journey

During National Volunteer Week, we’re showcasing volunteer stories, demonstrating the passions and talents that everyone brings to volunteering.  

Muneira’s Journey:

Circle Green Community Legal is a community legal centre that provides free legal advice in the specific practice areas of humanitarian, tenancy and workplace law.

As a volunteer, the most common position you’ll be in is administration. You’ll generally work alongside legal administrative assistants and supervisors to intake and triage prospective clients, answer phone calls, and monitor emails.

Initially, your first two days will be training and introductions to the systems and databases. Then, a few more weeks will be dedicated to emails, forms, booking appointments, and maintaining the calendar. Once you are confident with that, you will move on to answering incoming calls from clients and will be directed to complete other work as needed. For example, certain volunteers attend the Magistrates Court with the Duty Lawyer to intake and triage clients requesting legal advice prior to their hearing.

My Volunteer Experience & Key Takeaways

I began my volunteer experience in December of 2021 by emailing HR my resume including my availability and my preferred stream. My availability and experience suited the tenancy stream, so I went for an interview with a tenancy lawyer and a HR representative. Following the interview, I was called back to start volunteering once a week from 9:15 am to 4:00 pm!

Volunteering provided me with an immersive experience of the client process, from initial contact to file closure. I learnt how to use file management databases, maintain client files, assist in funding reports, understand court processes and delivery of legal advice. I received invaluable training in providing trauma-informed client experiences and managing conflict when dealing with challenging clients.

Volunteering can also provide a pathway to working for the organisation. Many of the staff I encountered (including the principal lawyer) began their journey as volunteers and worked their way up. Personally, after six months of volunteering, I was offered a part-time role as a legal administrative assistant. It is a wonderful advantage to be entering a role already being competent in most of the processes and having formed relationships with your coworkers. Subsequently, I seized the opportunity to transition to a paralegal position within the Humanitarian stream.

Volunteering at Circle Green not only provided me with familiarity with legal proceedings and skills, but also afforded me the unique opportunity of being the Geoff Ajduk Memorial Prize recipient of 2023. In my application letter, I drew from my experience at Circle Green as evidence of my community involvement. There are many scholarships and awards with similar criteria that value volunteer contributions from students.

Balancing Volunteer Work and Law School

Volunteering may not be the smoothest journey when you have outside commitments. To tackle this, I adjusted my study load to three units per trimester. This is generally encouraged regardless of volunteer commitments, as the three units per trimester study load is equivalent to four units per semester.

Given that most volunteers are law students, community legal centres are aware of and understand the fluctuations in busyness that accompany academic calendars. Open communication through providing advance notice of exam periods, class schedules, and holidays allows effective coordination. Maintaining a well-organised calendar helps in planning and communicating availability well. I would inform my supervisor of my availability via email at the beginning of each trimester and confirm specific dates closer to exam periods.

Circle Green was very accommodating, allowing flexibility if I needed to cut my volunteer day short to attend a class or come in a little later. Effective communication is paramount in managing expectations and commitments.

Getting the Most Out of Your Volunteer Experience

The key to maximising the benefits of volunteering is being aware of opportunities and taking initiative. Ensure you are continuously checking emails for any events or training opportunities that interest you and are open to all staff to stay informed. Keep an ear out for work that you believe you could contribute to. Then put your hand up for it! Volunteer to do more during your volunteering. This demonstrates your commitment and eagerness to contribute and you may find yourself working on a really interesting issue.

My volunteer experience was my first experience working in a legal environment. It equipped me with communication skills, specifically speaking in a professional phone manner with clients. I formed great friends there and learnt about what I value in a work environment once I become a lawyer. Having the volunteer experience while studying also ensured my extracurriculars aligned with my future goals. I recommend every law student to take the opportunity to volunteer at Circle Green as it is very worthwhile.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at Circle Green, head to the Volunteer page where there will be a form to submit an expression of interest with your resume, cover letter, and academic transcript. Circle Green’s volunteer pool is always open as they are continuously recruiting.