Student Directors (“SD’s”) are volunteer law students who work closely with pro bono staff at each BPP site to ensure the successful delivery of our various volunteering projects. As a Streetlaw SD, you might be involved in training volunteer presenters and ensuring they are ready to go out and deliver effective workshops to our client groups (e.g. schoolchildren; prisoners). A Clinic SD might have responsibility for liaising with real life clients to obtain relevant documents and ensure everything is in place for the weekly clinic appointments to go ahead.
We are extremely grateful to this group of students who go the extra mile each year to help with the smooth running of the Pro Bono Centre’s activities. Committing their spare time to volunteering as an SD certainly helps these law students stand out from the crowd, developing their professional skills in key areas such as organisation, business development, client communication and leadership.  In this regard, we are delighted to hear that as we approach the new academic year, many of our 2018/19 SD’s have already secured work in the legal profession.
Ellie Broughton is a GDL student who was a Student Director of the Streetlaw project in Leeds in 2019. She has recently secured a training contract with national firm, Addleshaw Goddard LLP and will return to BPP in 2021 to complete her LPC, after a well-earned gap year! Ellie says of her time as an SD: “I’ve really enjoyed my role as a Student Director as it has allowed me to make friends at BPP and give back to the local community. It has not only been personally rewarding but vital to developing my confidence. Organising and presenting with other volunteers has developed my ability to speak in public, a vital skill for a future career in law”.
Ellie shared the SD role with Callum Ross, a BPTC student who has recently secured pupillage at a chambers in Liverpool, where he will specialise in criminal law. Callum says: “being a part of the Streetlaw team as a Student Director has really boosted my applications for pupillage this year. It has helped me strengthen my skills and provided me with a niche role to talk about and discuss in interviews. Not only does helping pro bono as a Student Director boost your skills and make you more employable, it also allows you to build a network of like minded individuals and give back to the community in a rewarding and satisfying way.”
Haude Bergeon (see photo below, centre) studied the LPC part time at our Manchester site, where she has spent two years volunteering as an SD on the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service project, which provides legal information about Medical Tribunal procedures to unrepresented doctors. Haude had a practice interest in medical negligence and has recently secured a role at a firm specialising in this area. She told us that: “I am now a Legal Assistant at Hilary Meredith solicitors, and I think my involvement with the pro bono clinic contributed in obtaining this position. It was a valuable experience because I had the opportunity to assist students like myself with their legal career. It also gave me an insight of the professional world and allowed me to interact with people from different backgrounds. I encourage every student to become a part of the pro bono clinic as it is a rewarding experience not only for one’s career but also on a personal plane.”
Maxie Chophard supported the Enterprise Clinic as an SD whilst studying the LPC in Manchester in 2019. In recent months she has been successful in securing a training contract at a large, international, multi-practice law firm in London. Maxie told us that: “I enjoyed the Student Director role as it allowed me to see the “big picture” in terms of how the Clinic operates. I liked interacting with the different individuals involved in the clinic, including supervising solicitors, clients and fellow student volunteers. This enabled me to understand their concerns and priorities, which I sought to address through improving the Clinic’s processes. For example, I suggested giving more clients the option of filling in the consent form online as many of them did not have access to a printer/scanner. Having a good grasp of the Clinic’s processes has been useful to me in the first week of my internship at a small financial advisory firm. I was able to compare the Clinic’s approach to client care letters with the firm’s, and provide useful input on how to improve the firm’s existing template letter. I also improved my client handling skills. Although the Student Advisers handle the client’s substantive legal matters, I found myself in the position of a “client relationship manager.” I learnt to handle client matters with tact and sensitivity. Overall, I found my experience as Student Director rewarding and insightful. I am happy to have been able to contribute to the Clinic over the past year.”
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Thank you once again to our fantastic group of 2018/19 SDs, and well done on securing these exciting opportunities in the legal field. We wish all our SDs the best of luck with their future careers, and look forward to welcoming a brand new set of SDs in the 2019/20 academic year!
If you are a current BPP student or are starting with us this academic year, and are interested in applying for a coveted SD role, please check out information about SD recruitment on the pro bono section of the VLE and / or contact the Pro Bono Manager at your local BPP site for more information.
