Volunteer Opportunities

​If you are interested in volunteering at The Shopfront, please see our Volunteer FAQs below so you are clear about what is involved. 

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To apply, please click on the link below to complete an expression of interest. The form should take roughly 10 minutes to complete. You will also need to send us a copy of your CV / resume by replying to the confirmation email.

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Please bear with us if we are unable to consider your application straight away. We receive a large number of applications and we have limited capacity to take on new volunteers. We currently have a waiting list of several months for most volunteer roles.​​​​

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Volunteer FAQs

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What qualifications or skills do I need to volunteer at The Shopfront?

You don’t need any particular qualifications.

However, most of our volunteers are students or graduates in law, social work, or another related field such as psychology or criminology.

You will need initiative, attention to detail, and a commitment to advancing the rights of marginalised young people.

What sort of time commitment is involved?

Most of our volunteers come in one day per week.

You will need to be available for at least one full weekday (approximately 9am to 5pm) each week.

Because of the nature of the work and the amount of training required, we need volunteers to commit to staying for several months.

Sometimes we accept students on placement for a shorter period, especially if they are coming 2-3 days per week or in a full-time block.

Of course it’s fine for you to take time off during especially busy periods at work or uni (e.g. exam periods or major assessments), or to change your days with reasonable notice.

The more regular your attendance, the more interesting and meaningful tasks we can assign you, and the more worthwhile your volunteering experience will be.

Can I volunteer in the evening or weekend?

Generally no.

We need our volunteers to come in on weekdays, generally from 9am to 5pm.

This is because we need help to answer the office phones and to support lawyers at court.

Can I work from home as a volunteer?

Sometimes, in limited circumstances.

If you are volunteering from home you won’t have access to our computer system or office phone lines, so you won’t be able to perform most core volunteer tasks.

There are some kinds of legal research and writing tasks that can be done remotely.

Do you accept volunteer solicitors?

Our insurance policy does not allow our volunteers to do legal work.

If you are a qualified legal practitioner, you can volunteer with us but you will essentially be doing paralegal work.

If you are a private practitioner or firm wishing to take pro bono referrals from The Shopfront, please get in touch.

Do you take students on formal placements (including PLT)?

Yes, we regularly take on law students doing placements as part of their law, criminology or social work degrees. Depending on where you are studying and which course you are doing, you may need to apply via your university or college. 

We also take law students/graduates on Practical Legal Training (PLT) placements.

Do you take high school work experience students?

Yes, although there is a limit on how many we can take.

Please complete the application form to enquire.

We don’t need a CV/resume from high school students.  

Are there any other requirements to volunteer?

We require all volunteers (other than high school work experience students) to have a current NSW Working With Children Check clearance.

Go to https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check and follow the relevant links. There is no fee for volunteers. Note: the industry sector you need to apply under is “youth work”.

We don’t require a criminal record check.

When you start, you will be required to sign a confidentiality and conflict of interest agreement and to provide us with some photo identification.

​What sort of tasks do volunteers do?

• Assisting with office administration including answering phones, dealing with mail and couriers, file management.  

• Dealing with client intake calls, and helping us follow up on intakes.

• Attending court with our solicitors, sometimes to assist (e.g. with note-taking, supporting clients) and sometimes just to observe and learn.

• Gathering and analysing evidence in criminal cases and victims support applications.

• Drafting and filing court documents (e.g. bail applications, subpoenas, notices of appeal).

• Legal research and writing, for individual client matters and also for our educational materials.

• Contributing to policy and law reform by helping us write submissions.

• Assisting with social support and referrals for clients (e.g, housing, counselling, rehab, Centrelink).

What does a typical day look like?

No two days are exactly the same!

On a typical day, some (or even all) of our lawyers will be at court.

Other staff may be in the office, working from home, at meetings, or out and about with clients.

Sometimes we will ask you, as a volunteer, to meet one of our lawyers at court.

On other days you will go straight to the office and deal with tasks as they come up.

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What kind of training do volunteers get?

Unfortunately we don’t have enough time to provide comprehensive one-on-one training.

However, we will show you around and give you some basic orientation.

We also have some e-learning modules and comprehensive written material which can browse though at your own pace.

You will also have plenty of opportunities to learn on the job.

Is there a dress code?

No. Casual attire is fine for the office, or smart casual if attending court with one of our solicitors.

How many volunteers do you have?

This varies from time to time.

Typically we have about 3-5 volunteers in the office each day​​

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How do I apply to volunteer?

Please click on this link Expression of Interest and complete the form.

You will also need to send us a copy of your CV / resume by replying to the confirmation email (unless you are a high school work experience student).

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How will my volunteer application be dealt with?

We are usually very busy, so we may take several weeks to respond to your application.

We don’t always have capacity to take on new volunteers, so we will usually ask you if you are willing to go on a waitlist. The wait time could be several months. 

When we have capacity, we will contact suitable candidates to arrange an in-person or online interview.