Benefits of volunteering
Our volunteers gain satisfaction from helping people solve their problems and from the knowledge that their contributions aid the development of a fair and accessible legal system.
Volunteering with FLAC gives practitioners the opportunity to work in different areas of law and gain new skills. Volunteering is also a good way to meet like-minded individuals, broadening both personal friendships and professional networks. Many prominent figures in the Irish legal profession have volunteered with FLAC at one time or another, like former president Mary Robinson, politicians Alan Shatter and the late David Molony, and High Court judge, Mr Justice Vivian Lavan.
FLAC also offers training in specific areas of law to volunteers, depending on need and demand from volunteers. There are usually a number of sessions organised annually. In Dublin in 2007 there were sessions on the Freedom of Information Act; on diverse aspects of criminal law; on the work of the Garda Ombudsman's Council; and on family law. A training session in Cork in December 2007 covered criminal law, family law, immigration and asylum law, and the practical experiences of volunteering.
In 2008 we held three training seminars in Dublin in March, June and November. In March, the seminar was on employment law, immigration law, legal aid, and the practical experiences of volunteering. The seminar in June looked at family law in respect of the areas of guardianship, custody and access, tenants & landlords rights and civil legal aid. The seminar in November 2008, looked at family law with a focus on separation, divorce and the use of collaborative law, employment law; unfair dismissals and redundancies, an overview of immigration law and another look at legal aid in Ireland. In April 2009 we held another training seminar on the area of Redundancy and Unfair Dismissal and Debt Enforcement Procedure. Every Christmas we hold a party in Dublin to thank volunteers for their time and energy - it's always very well attended!
In 2010 we will again be holding training events and are open to suggestions on areas of law for such instruction - contact the Volunteer Coordinator for details.