"The value that volunteers bring to an organisation is priceless. At FRU, there is incredibly high demand and not enough volunteers, so most of the people seeking representation do not know if they will be getting a barrister until the last minute. Their clients simply cannot afford legal representation but desperately need it."
Alina Grisman, Clerk at Broadway House Chambers, talks to us about volunteering from a young age and how it has helped her to give back to her community while developing key skills and experiences for her career.
What kind of volunteering opportunities have you undertaken, and why did you decide to do this type of volunteering work in particular?
I have undertaken many different volunteering jobs throughout the years, from doing minor building works for a small orphanage in Lucknow and raising money to organise Iftar meals for labour workers in Dubai to volunteering with large organisations like the NSPCC, Citizens Advice and the Free Representation Unit. I have also volunteered for the NHS during Covid as a ‘Check in and Chat’ Volunteer.
All the work I have done has largely been around people and education. I strongly believe in the importance of education – academic, vocational, practical – count me in! I think it is important to continuously evolve and try to be the best version of ourselves. Like Ellen DeGeneres says, “be kind to one another”.
At what stage in your career did you first start taking on volunteering opportunities?
I began taking on volunteering roles back in high school and it continued from them onwards.
While I was marshalling a judge in Leeds Magistrate’s Court, I found out about an organisation called the NSPCC which I hadn’t heard of before. Later that day I researched them and applied to become a volunteer – not long after that I was standing in large auditoriums filled with key stage one and two students doing presentations on identifying and reporting abuse.
After that, I started to volunteer with Citizens Advice as a General Administrator, and later went on to a paid role there as an Immigration Casework Assistant. Working under an excellent mentor who is a qualified Immigration solicitor and other professionals made me feel more confident as I was supported throughout. After leaving the paid role I continued to volunteer as I felt so passionate about their work. While still volunteering with the CAB, I joined FRU to get advocacy experience and to get a taste of what it is like being the voice of a client in front of a tribunal. In this role I deal with social security cases and I enjoy getting to hear client’s stories and work on their cases.
The value that volunteers bring to an organisation is priceless. At FRU, there is incredibly high demand and not enough volunteers, so most of the people seeking representation do not know if they will be getting a barrister until the last minute. Their clients simply cannot afford legal representation but desperately need it.
I love the work I get to do in this role. There is a sense of pride that comes with it as you spend so much time analysing the information you have and reading up on the law. Even after you think you have everything that the law requires, you still have to play devil’s advocate in your head to try and anticipate your opponent’s argument so you are prepared.
I have recently also joined the governing board of a school in Wakefield, which I love as it has everything to do with education and the children who will be our future. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with the role and while it is described as ‘challenging and questioning the education institution’, I see it as working together and supporting the school to deliver the best outcome for future generations.
How has your volunteering work positively impacted on your career?
I think that my volunteering work in the legal sector has helped me to understand the court and tribunal system from the advocate’s point of view. It has allowed me to relate to the profession more by representing first-hand service users.
Volunteering with schools and students has helped me not only to learn about myself as an individual but also about the general skills that young people have and reflect on the demand within the current workforce – things to look for when I think of who would make a successful barristers’ clerk.
What was the most memorable volunteering opportunity you worked on, and why?
Every experience was very memorable and an absolute pleasure. I think it is important for people to know that nobody is asking for a life commitment to one volunteering role. It is simply about trying things and giving back. Organisations understand that between work, family and everything else, people will not always find the time to volunteer, but that any time is better than no time.
Do your Chambers support barristers and professionals who want to do volunteering work?
Absolutely! In my chambers, we believe it is part of our social corporate responsibility to not only make sure that we circulate any new pro bono opportunities to all barristers, but also to encourage barristers to take on pro bono work.
Only last month our clerks came together and volunteered to complete two million steps for the month of august to raise money for charity, a reflection of how passionate we are about giving back.
What advice would you give to anyone at the Bar who is unsure about whether to start doing volunteering work?
Remember why you became an advocate in the first place – if the answer is to help people, then this is your chance.
You don’t have to wait until you find a cause that you are passionate about to volunteer – it is simply about spreading kindness and making a difference to one life at a time, so start now!
And (not to share any secrets of the trade) but every clerk will know that a barrister taking on a pro bono case can turn into lots of great new and rewarding career opportunities in the long run!
Interested in volunteering? Check out our current volunteering opportunities here and sign up here to receive regular updates on volunteering opportunities.