Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS)

Testimonials

• Cleo Shave

  Former Volunteer + Paralegal at RAILS; Current Volunteer + Paralegal at QAI - Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI) + RAILS - 2026

  I started volunteering at the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) through the UQ Clinical Placement elective. Prior to placement I had felt disillusioned by the well-worn corporate law pathway, mistakenly thinking I had made the wrong choice to study law. However, after starting placement at RAILS, everything started making sense. I witnessed the power of the law twofold. Firstly through the law's harsh treatment of the most vulnerable and secondly, and in opposition, through the law's incredible capacity to assist the most vulnerable.

  At the end of placement, I had the opportunity to work as a paralegal in the Protection Visa team, and it was the best experience of my life. Community Legal Centres (CLCs) are such valuable places to learn, as you are often thrown into the deep end, completing tasks such as drafting legal submissions or statutory declarations with clients by yourself. Apart from fascinating work and a sense of agency, spending time at a CLC ignites a fierce desire to break down the barriers in the legal system. I now work at another CLC, Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI), in the NDIS Appeals team. Again, the law creates barriers for the most vulnerable, and it is our job as people in the legal profession to facilitate access through the law to get better outcomes. It is a true privilege to undertake legal education and so many people bear the brunt of the legal system with little to no assistance. Overall, not only does volunteering/working at a CLC challenge your understanding of the world, it is an entirely human experience - between you and the client. I highly recommend volunteering at a CLC as it can lead to unexpected outcomes and allows you to bear witness to and participate in one of the most compassionate sectors in the legal world.

• Kirsten Cribb

  Paralegal - Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) - 2023

  I commenced with RAILS in 2021 through UQ's clinical legal placement subject. Even though I had no prior experience with the community legal sector, I always had a keen interest in social justice, which motivated my choice of degree.

  While on placement at RAILS I was exposed to many different aspects of legal work including research, drafting various visa applications and legal submissions for the Department of Home Affairs and Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Interacting with diverse clients, hearing their stories, and helping them start anew in a different country is the most rewarding part for me personally.

  After the semester was over, I decided to stay on as a day legal volunteer, which led to paralegal temp-work and eventually a full-time position. If you want to work in a community legal centre, volunteering is an opportunity to get a foot in the door, as it can act a practical resume.

  While extremely rewarding, working in the community legal sector can also be very draining. Working with vulnerable clients can be difficult as you can feel the need and responsibility to give everything to the work. Therefore, it is important to ensure you let yourself have balance so that work doesn't become an all-encompassing. I have found that being part of a supportive team at RAILS who encourage drawing that line, makes a difference.

  If you are unsure about your career path, volunteering in community legal sector allows you, as a student, to trial different areas of law and build your skills. Even for the students in first or second year who may not yet qualify for a legal volunteer position, working in administrative roles in these services can still be a great opportunity to learn about the area of law, practice communication and client relation skills, understand lawyers' ethical duties etc. So, I would encourage all law students at some point in their study to get involved in the community legal sector. It is a chance to better yourself, your professional skills, and your community.

• Rin Shimada

  Former Administration Officer at RAILS; Current Senior Policy Officer at QLD Treasury - Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) - 2020

  I first began volunteering at the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service in January 2018 as an Evening Advice Session Coordinator where I would only volunteer a few times a month in the evening. Soon after, I became much more involved at RAILS and began doing admin volunteering and legal volunteering on a weekly basis. As an admin volunteer, I would do data entry, answering the telephones, and filing, among other various admin tasks. As a legal volunteer, I primarily engaged in drafting documents, legal research, and client interaction through phone calls and assisting the caseworkers with face to face appointments. These volunteering positions gave me an abundance of experience and various skills that I later utilised as a paralegal and administration officer.

  Since May 2018, I have been working at RAILS as an Administration Officer. I was also simultaneously a paralegal for the Unrepresented Asylum Seeker Project for almost a year, but am now currently working full time as an administration officer. My current tasks primarily include answering the telephones, data entry, booking appointments, and assisting caseworkers to prepare for appointments. I am thankful to have been offered employment after volunteering for five months, as fortunately RAILS was in need of a new Administration Officer whilst I was an admin volunteer. I believe that I was able to sufficiently display my enthusiasm and passion for RAILS and the amazing work that they do. I also showed genuine interest in the volunteering work itself, and developed strong connections with the other volunteers and employees at RAILS.

  RAILS has been an amazing place to both volunteer and work at, and I am eternally grateful for all the opportunities RAILS has given me. Volunteering is undoubtedly the best way to become involved in Community Legal Centres, and there are many CLCs offering opportunities to assist with various, incredible causes. Volunteering is such a fulfilling and worthwhile activity to engage in during your degree, and is definitely something I would recommend to all law students.