Volunteer at a community legal centre
Passionate about making a difference? There are 41 community legal centres across New South Wales, the vast majority provide volunteer opportunities. If you are looking for a career in Community Legal Sectors, you can explore current opportunities on our Jobs Board.
CLCs that take volunteers
The vast majority of community legal centres in NSW also work with volunteers, and over 90% of community legal centre volunteers provide client-facing services.
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Animal Defenders Office
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Arts Law Centre of Australia
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Australian Centre for Disability Law
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Central Tablelands and Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre
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Central Coast Community Legal Centre
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Environmental Defenders Office
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Hunter Community Legal Centre
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Illawarra Legal Centre
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Immigration Advice and Rights Centre
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Inner City Legal Centre
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Intellectual Disability Rights Service
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International Social Services
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Illawarra Legal Centre
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Kingsford Legal Centre
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Macarthur Legal Centre
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Mallee Family Care Community Legal Centre
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Marrickville Legal Centre
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Mid North Coast Community Legal Centre
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Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre
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North and North West Community Legal Service
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Redfern Legal Centre
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Refugee Advice and Casework Service
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Seniors Rights Service
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Tenants’ Union of NSW
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Welfare Rights Centre
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Western Sydney Community Legal Centre
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Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
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Women’s Legal Service NSW
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Youth Law Australia
CLCs that provide Practical Legal Training (PLT) placements
Many community legal centres (CLCs) welcome students to their centres for their Practical Legal Training (PLT) each year. Practical Legal Training at CLCs in NSW provides law graduates with essential hands-on experience, involving tasks like client intake, casework, legal research, and drafting.
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Australian Centre for Disability Law
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Central Coast Community Legal Centre
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Environmental Defenders Office
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HIV/AIDS Legal Centre
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Hume Riverina Community Legal Service
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Hunter Community Legal Centre
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Illawarra Legal Centre
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Immigration Advice and Rights Centre
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Inner City Legal Centre
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Intellectual Disability Rights Service
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International Social Services
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Justice Connect
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Kingsford Legal Centre
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Mallee Family Care Community Legal Centre
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Marrickville Legal Centre
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Mid North Coast Community Legal Centre
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Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre
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Redfern Legal Centre
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Refugee Advice and Casework Service
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Tenants’ Union of NSW
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Welfare Rights Centre
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Western Sydney Community Legal Centre
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Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
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Women’s Legal Service NSW
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Youth Law Australia
Law students have always been an integral part of the community legal centre sector, but increasingly community legal centres are also engaging students studying social work, community development, communications, IT, and business to carry out a variety of volunteer work.
Volunteer roles vary in each centre, but common tasks are:
- taking instructions from clients (under supervision of solicitors);
- answering phones, making referrals, making appointment bookings, organising interpreters;
- conducting research;
- drafting correspondence; and
- working on community legal education and law reform projects.
The Community Legal Centres Australia website provides a list of current volunteer and employment opportunities across the broader legal assistance sector.