Volunteering with the Citizens Advice Bureau

In today’s tough economic climate, it is perhaps harder than ever to secure that elusive training contract or pupillage. A good degree is only one part of the story. For aspiring lawyers, it is vital to have experience in the legal sphere. The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) provides a valuable experience for aspiring lawyers. It can help you develop the practical skills that are essential for a successful legal career and make you more attractive to potential employers.

CAB offers a range of volunteering opportunities, from administrative and fundraising roles to providing legal advice. For those considering a career in law, volunteering as an Adviceline assessor can be particularly valuable. The benefits extend beyond personal development, as volunteering with CAB also supports the local bureau and the wider community.

The Value of Practical Experience

Marian Hurle, the director of the Stevenage CAB, pointed out that it is extremely difficult to get a job without work experience. Competition for training contracts and pupillages is fierce and it is no longer enough to simply have a good LLB or Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL). Not only does volunteering with the CAB look good on your CV and make you stand out from the host of other applicants, but it also provides opportunities to see, and be involved in, the law in practice. Of course, work shadowing is great and will illustrate to a prospective employer that you are committed to your chosen career, but the hands-on experience provided by working with the CAB will allow you to gauge which areas of law you may be most attracted to. In addition, it may illustrate to you whether or not a legal career really is right for you.

Ms Hurle noted that the experience can be a ‘reality check’ for some. Although most law students who have committed to a legal career will usually be fairly set on this decision already, it can be helpful in confirming whether legal advice work suits you personally. University can provide a solid theoretical understanding of the law, but the law in practice can be something quite different.

Advisers at CAB will be confronted with a myriad of queries and problems from members of their community. This exposure to a broad range of social problems can prove invaluable in helping a law student decide which area of law is most suited to them. Perhaps, for example, employment law did not appeal to you during your degree, which meant that you did not choose it as one of your optional modules. However, after helping clients with a range of employment issues, from redundancy to unfair dismissals, you may find that you actually have a keen interest in this area of law.

Building Legal Skills

The skills and attributes developed through volunteering as an adviser can prove invaluable. For aspiring solicitors, interviewing clients, identifying problems and providing practical solutions will be an integral part of their working day. The experience of interviewing clients at CAB, learning how to control and steer an interview, and extracting the relevant information will therefore be extremely useful in demonstrating to potential employers that you have the skills required for the role.

For those looking to pursue a career at the Bar, the opportunity to contact other organisations, such as creditors and local authorities, and negotiate on behalf of clients provides valuable experience in developing negotiation and persuasion skills. These skills will stand you in good stead for your future career.

The list of skills which you will learn through volunteering with the CAB is extensive, but some of the most important for aspiring lawyers are: communication, confidence, professionalism, and patience. The latter should not be underestimated. Individuals who find themselves needing legal advice may be stressed, anxious and upset. Patience and tact is needed when supporting them and the CAB will provide the opportunity for you to develop these skills.

The Benefits for CAB

The benefits of volunteering work both ways, and there should be a mutual exchange between you and the bureau. CAB relies heavily on its volunteers; without them, it could not function effectively. Indeed, volunteers make up around 75 per cent of CAB’s total workforce. Law students, in particular, can bring a valuable combination of legal knowledge, enthusiasm and a genuine interest in the law.

If you are committed to pursuing a legal career, you are likely to have the ambition and motivation to make a valuable contribution to your local bureau. The legal knowledge you have gained through your studies, combined with your enthusiasm for the profession, can be particularly useful when working as an adviser. Of course, CAB will not expect you to know the answer to every query, but your existing understanding of the law can provide a useful foundation on which to build.

Ms Hurle also pointed out that young people often bring creativity and new ideas to the bureau and are ‘often quick to learn’. The combination of legal knowledge, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn means that law students can make a substantial contribution to their local bureau. The skills developed through a legal education are also highly relevant, allowing you to apply the problem-solving and analytical skills developed at university to real-life situations.

The Benefits for the Community

In 2025/26, Citizens Advice helped nearly six million people with consumer issues, saving them approximately £158 million, while continuing to support individuals facing financial difficulties caused by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

The bureau makes a huge impact on their local communities. For someone struggling to pay their rent, council tax or other debts, access to reliable advice can make a significant difference. Without appropriate support, financial difficulties can become more serious and may eventually lead to court proceedings, eviction or homelessness. By helping clients understand their options at an early stage, Citizens Advice can help prevent problems from escalating.

Whether they are a regular client or someone who is using the service for the first time, the information and advice provided can give clients the knowledge and power to help themselves, be it through accessing a benefit that they did not realise they were entitled to, by understanding the options available to leave a violent partner or by understanding their rights at work. All volunteers at the CAB provide a vital service to their community and, although the work can certainly be challenging, the feeling of helping a client through a stressful episode of their lives can be extremely rewarding.

What Can You Expect as an Adviser at CAB?

The Citizens Advice Bureau invests a lot of time and money into providing free training for their volunteer advisers. The training programme introduces volunteers to the bureau, the services provided and to the CAB’s ethos and values. Aside from substantive training on areas of law, the training focuses on the practical side of advising and looks at developing the skills mentioned earlier – particularly interviewing skills. After successfully completing the training programme, volunteers will become qualified advisers, although support is still given to all advisers throughout their time with their bureau.

Indeed, the supportive atmosphere provided by the bureau makes a huge difference to everyone who works for the service. Advisers are not expected to know all of the answers and can rely on the knowledge and expertise of the session supervisor to assist them in helping a client.

Most bureau operate a ‘gateway’ or ‘triage’ system, which means that clients can attend a drop-in session, or contact the CAB’s Advice Line helpline, and speak to an adviser that day. The purpose of the initial interview will be to diagnose the problem and decide on the best course of action. The gateway adviser may be able to provide information through factsheets which are available on the CAB’s website, , or they may signpost the client to another agency if they feel that a different organisation could provide the necessary expert advice. Often, the gateway adviser will decide that a full appointment or telephone call is needed with a CAB adviser and this can be arranged during the initial gateway assessment.

You Don't Have to Know All the Answers

During the full interview or call-back, advisers will further explore the problem to identify and extract all the necessary information. On the basis of this, advice and information can be given. The client’s problem may mean that you must refer them to another organisation. As mentioned previously, this may be a creditor to whom the client owes money, or a local authority. The range of problems you will see will vary from day to day.

One day, you may see a client in the process of appealing a benefits decision and the next you may be advising a client on how to deal with bailiffs or court action. Another day may see you liaising with a fuel provider to query an energy bill and the next may see you discussing the court orders available for an unmarried father who wants to be more involved in his child’s life.

Whatever the query, and whoever the client, you can feel assured that you will be providing a valuable service. The preparation, experience and skills which volunteering with the CAB can give to aspiring lawyers is truly invaluable. Likewise, the service provided by the CAB is invaluable to its clients and the local community.