HUB Community Legal

Testimonials

• Daisy Leadbetter

  Executive Assistant - HUB Community Legal - 2023

  I commenced my time at HUB Community Legal in March 2018 as an intake and referral volunteer, having applied for the opportunity through the UQ Pro Bono Centre. I was in my third year, it was my first law position and I loved it from the outset. Over the years, my involvement with the centre has grown. I have been a project officer, I participated in a student clinic, I completed the placement component of my practical legal training and am currently Executive Assistant. It's a path that has allowed me to give back as much as I have received.

  Before starting at HUB, I hadn't considered pursuing a career in community legal because frankly, I had no clue it was an option. It suits me though. Community legal centres are collaborative and inclusive, they need people who are passionate, patient and resilient, and who are driven to create change to improve access to justice.

  Working at a community legal centre is incredibly rewarding and offers extraordinary opportunities. I get to work with diverse clients on complex legal matters and I never stop learning. Recently, working alongside HUB's specialist child protection lawyer, I developed and co-presented seminars on child protection laws for foster carers. The seminar may now be offered to other community legal centres to expand their practice in this area. Definitely a career highlight.

  If you want to pursue a career in community legal, I recommend you start volunteering, even if it's not legal volunteering. Volunteering develops your skills in confidently and non-judgementally communicating with people from diverse backgrounds. You can start at any point in your studies, and it's a great boost to your employability.

  If you're not sure about your future career path, don't panic. My tips would be: 1. Say yes to opportunities - each opportunity gives you a chance to reflect on what you enjoy and you can use that to guide you along your career path. 2. Remember that networking is valuable - you can learn from the experiences of industry professionals as well as those of your friends and peers. 3. Be kind to yourself. Figuring out your path can take time and patience while you gather experience.

• Mitree Vongphakdi

  Volunteer - HUB Community Legal - 2020

  It was 2018 when I began volunteering with what was then the South West Brisbane Community Legal Centre. I was halfway through my third year and (through my own ignorance) I had no idea what a community legal centre was. For the first few months I was handling enquiries and making appointments or referrals. After I became more acclimatised, I began assisting with more of the centre's work.

  In my time at the centre, I have assisted with research, drafting, and even some interpreting. Fast forward two years, and I still volunteer with Hub Community Legal, although I have a few more responsibilities than when I was starting out.

  In my opinion, volunteering as an Intake and Referral Volunteer is particularly beneficial to students with limited experience in legal practice. As a generalist practice, you are exposed to a wide range of legal matters in various areas of law. Being able to see how the legal theories you read about in law school operate in real life situations will help your learning and better prepare you for your future career. Further to this, dealing with numerous clients from a diverse range of backgrounds will help you sharpen your interviewing skills and your ability to effectively communicate.

• Helen Hawksworth

  Former Solicitor at HUB Community Legal; Current Solicitor at Suncoast Community Legal Service Inc - HUB Community Legal - 2020

  Currently, I practice as a generalist lawyer at Hub Community Legal. We share the Inala Community Centre building on Poinsettia Street, Inala, with two other organisations.

  Generalist law is a specialisation in itself, but Family law advice is our predominant area of practice. Like all law, Family law intersects other legal areas such as debt, succession and estate planning and the renowned field of Dispute Resolution. I have always practised in these areas whether it was volunteering or my first paid job at a local high-street law firm. These experiences shaped the rest of my legal development. I will be forever grateful to the remarkable people that fostered such support and encouragement in my early career.

  Community legal centres are multidisciplinary, encompassing an array of academic disciplines. This awareness and understanding offers access to a deeper responsibility to yourself and those around you, to empower others to have insight and access self-mastery and wellness. The law has immense power for healing and bringing wellness to people and we can all engage and expand that aspect.

  My general advice to law students is to have rhythms and rituals that support you to be well. Taking care of your wellness allows you to be more connected and see the opportunities around you at the University. You can engage with your lectures, tutors, and other students, be considerate, and when in class, ask questions that support foundational understanding. Rather than disappearing down to the library, you can stay and continue to connect with your teacher after class. You can also connect with them via email.

  You can book in and make regular appointments with the BEL Student Employability Team. They can assist with your resume, LinkedIn profile and value-based interviewing skills. They can also help you identify your core personal values and how you bring those values into a workplace, wherever that workplace may be. This aligns you to your purpose, connects you to the reasons you studied law and what you bring to others every day at work.

  My advice for law students that wish to work in the community sector is to volunteer. There are always a lot of volunteer opportunities available through the UQ Pro Bono Centre (such as the elective LAWS5180) or on websites such as volunteeringqld.org.au and ethicaljobs.com.au. Building up your skills in applying law whilst volunteering is an invaluable stepping-stone to your success in legal practice and the rest of your unfolding journey.

  Stay switched on and well.