Monica McKenzie now works as a defence solicitor in criminal law, but she gained invaluable experience as a volunteer at Redfern Legal Centre. Her time there was so educational and rewarding that she still volunteers there once a week.

“CLCs are a great place for law graduates to get on their feet,” McKenzie said. “You get that face-to-face contact and the responsibility for handling a person and their matter.”

Much of your time working at a CLC is taken up in assisting marginalised people, McKenzie said. “We get a lot of homeless people, and people on disability support pensions, as well as a lot of Indigenous clients.”

According to McKenzie, not only does work in a CLC help a law student prepare for a future career, but it can in many ways be more satisfying than a career in a large law firm.

“In the top-tier law firms there’s a lot more people higher up the corporate rungs than you,” she said. “You’ll just be a paper pusher. This is on the ground, on your feet, and great experience.”