First Year Student's Experience at the Legal Advice Centre

Over the past academic year, I have had the privilege of being a member of the Legal Advice Centre for the University of Suffolk. This has been an experience that has been highly complimentary to my degree as a law student as it has been particularly helpful in progressing the skills that are necessary for this degree, as well as providing a first-hand experience of what will be expected of us beyond graduation.

I feel that the Legal Advice Centre has been pivotal in creating a learning experience for us as students, whilst simultaneously providing an outlook into the profession we aspire to work towards. This is because the Legal Advice Centre provides an opportunity to interact with clients in a professional manner, as well as allowing us to apply what we learn in our studies to real world situations. Whilst embracing our roles as student volunteers over the course of the past academic year, we have had the privilege of helping clients with their legal issues and consequently playing an active role in helping the community around us.

Personally, I believe the Legal Advice Centre has also had many benefits for me from an individual perspective, such as helping significantly in improving my confidence as an individual as well as a law student. Having the opportunity to be given the responsibility that the Legal Advice Centre provides has also allowed me to develop my skills in terms of legal research and application on a case-by-case basis. I believe that these are skills that I can incorporate into my degree but also in the future, as these are skills that can be applied to a multitude of professions and careers.

As well as these skills, the Legal Advice Centre has also been positive in terms of encouraging a sense of time management between our studies and other commitments, namely I think it has allowed us to adapt to a working environment and teach the standards that would be required of us in the future. I have enjoyed playing a role in the Legal Advice Centre, particularly being able to provide support to individuals who have been involved in family law matters, and helping them to work through and resolve their issues. Over the past academic year, I believe that the Legal Advice Centre has helped to establish the foundations of my future in the legal profession as it has provided the skills and confidence required within such a career and this is something that I hope to continue to develop over the span of my degree.