Eligibility

You are eligible to volunteer for FRU social security work if you are in the final year of an LLB course or have started a CPE/GDL, LLM, LPC or BVC. For FRU employment work you must have started a CPE/GDL, LLM LPC or BVC. ILEX students eligibility is considered case by case. Criminal injuries compensation work is available to those who have gained, at FRU, sufficient experience of social security work. Immigration work is available for second-six pupils and fully qualified lawyers with sufficient immigration experience gained outside FRU: those wishing to be considered should send their CV to the office manager. We also welcome more experienced practitioners and those reviving their skills after a period away from legal practice.

After the training day you are asked to sit a written test. This is to make sure that you are ready to represent a client in a live case. It lasts for about 2 hours. The final step is to visit a tribunal. If you are suitably experienced, some or all of these training requirements can be waived. We can usually make other arrangements for those for whom religious or other reasons make our normal timetable impossible. After completing your training, you will be able to take on your first case. Once you have completed your first case to a satisfactory standard you are considered to be a ratified representative. Which cases you choose to take on is entirely at your discretion. Cases are graded by reference to the experience you require to handle them. In a few cases there are opportunities to work with other, more experienced, volunteers. As you progress, you can take on more complex cases. We expect volunteers to take at least three cases each. For further details please visit www.freerepresentationunit.org. uk

Free Representation Unit

Volunteering Opportunities

Procedure
If you are eligible to volunteer for employment or social security work, your first step is to register for and attend a training day in the relevant subject. We run about three training days each year in each subject. They each take one Saturday.

6th Floor 289 - 293 High Holborn London WC1V 7HZ Telephone: 020 7611 9555 Fax: 020 7611 9551 Email: admin@freerepresentationunit.org.uk Website: www.freerepresentationunit.org.uk Registered Charity No: 295952

What is FRU?
FRU work is pro bono work in the best tradition of the legal profession. It is a way for lawyers to help address unmet legal need and is vital to their clients. FRU is committed to helping to ensure that equal access to justice is a reality and not just an ideal. FRU provides representation for clients who cannot afford legal help and are not eligible for legal aid or other funding at the hearing. Our volunteer representatives provide help through the provision of advice, case preparation and representation. Our representatives appear before the Employment Tribunal, before the First-tier Tribunal in social security, child support and criminal injuries cases and before the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in bail cases. We also provide representation on appeals from those tribunals, for example to the Employment Appeal Tribunal or

to the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal. Approximately 30 FRU cases go to the appeal stage every year; a few go to the Court of Appeal. FRU has a number of reported cases. One of the objectives of FRU is to further the education and training of law students by giving them the opportunity to carry out case preparation and advocacy with guidance. Ratifying with FRU will allow you to take responsibility for a case from the time it is listed for hearing through to its completion. It is the most extensive and important practical experience that can be gained by a law student before qualification, and is widely looked upon by members of the profession as the first step in establishing a successful legal career. For further information please visit www.freerepresentationunit.org. uk

How FRU benefits you

FRU is supported by many barristers chambers and solicitors firms who recognise the value and excellent experience given by FRU. FRU is an excellent addition to any lawyers CV, showing dedication to pro bono work and the profession and can provide you with impressive legal experience. Being a representative gives you skills which will set you apart in interviews, during pupillage or your training contract and in practice. FRU enables you to improve the quality of access to justice for your clients and to make a real impact on their lives. FRU work involves extensive advocacy, providing excellent experience for students who intend to practice at the Bar or who otherwise want to become involved in litigation work. FRU provides the opportunity to develop the legal skills you will require in practice. For example, you will have practical experience of crossexamining witnesses and making oral submissions before tribunals. You will learn to run negotiations and

client conferences. You will enhance your skills in case preparation, research, drafting submissions and making applications. FRU provides the chance to develop practical skills, including running meetings and managing client relationships. FRU provides an office with not just computers and a library but legal officers to provide support and guidance, and above all a friendly atmosphere created by other lawyers and trainees with whom you can compare notes about your career and the cases you are handling. FRU is flexible. You will be able to choose what cases you take on, allowing you to work around other commitments. We expect FRU volunteers to take at least three cases during their time as a volunteer; indeed, that is a minimum requirement for making a real impression on your CV. All work undertaken is covered by FRUs insurance.