Applications are now open to volunteer with the Warwick Law in the Community (LinC) Clinics for 2026/27 Term 1

Warwick Law in the Community

LinC Student Opportunities 2026/27

Applications are now open

Warwick Law in the Community (LinC) is pleased to collaborate with the Central England Law Centre (CELC) to offer students volunteering opportunities with the Strategic Social Justice Clinic (SSJC) during term 1 of the 2026/27 academic year.

If you have any questions about the opportunities, please email WarwickLinC@warwick.ac.uk

As a volunteer for Warwick LinC, you are able to claim Core Skills Points towards the Warwick Award.

Eligibility

Opportunities with the Strategic Social Justice Clinic are open to all Warwick law students, both undergraduate and postgraduate. PPL students are also eligible to apply.

Please note that students can only volunteer for each of LinC's clinics one time, but further opportunities to work with these clinics may be available as part of our associates programme for previous volunteers.

We are planning to recruit approximately 17 student volunteers for each of the projects below. We are looking for students with the following skills and attributes:

A commitment to social justice.
Good organisational skills and timekeeping.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Good legal research skills.
Good analytical skills.
Good team working and collaboration.
An interest in social welfare law as a career

What's Involved?

Students volunteering with the Strategic Social Justice Clinic are expected to commit 3–5 hours per week during Term 1, with the possibility of continuing into Term 2 if required.

Students will be required to attend regular team meetings on campus. The SSJC projects are held on a Wednesday afternoon between the hours of 2-3 pm and 3-4 pm, with the possibility of additional meetings outside of these hours as needed.

Further information about the specific projects the clinic is working on this term can be found below.

How to apply

Students are required to submit the following two documents in one combined PDF, via the online application form available here:

1. CV

2. A Cover Letter (of no more than 300 words)

You can indicate your preferred project in your cover letter. Please note that if you apply for more than one project, you can only be accepted for one.

The deadline for applications is

Sunday 4 October, 5pm.

Interviews

Please note: if invited for interview, we will ask whether you have any reasonable adjustments we can make to help you to attend the interview, or to help you perform at your best.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 4 October, 5pm
Shortlisted candidates will be informed by Tuesday 6 October and Wednesday 7 October 2026.
The in-person group interview is on Monday 12 October (times are to be confirmed).

Session Schedule

Successful students will be required to attend a project induction on week 2, Wednesday 14 October 2026.
Regular sessions will take place every Wednesday during Term 1 after the induction session, excluding Week 6. The exact session time will be confirmed after the interviews, this will be either the 2–3pm session or the 3–4pm session.

Strategic Social Justice Clinic

You can read about projects below:

Project 1: Digital Exclusion and Access to Justice

Legal services and Court processes are rapidly moving online. For some people, this results in a more streamlined experience, while others risk being left behind. In a recent report, examining digital exclusion and access to legal services, 82% of those surveyed had been required to complete part of their legal service online. However, only 1 in 5 could manage this independently. At Central England Law Centre, this problem is particularly stark. In a recent consultation response, its Housing Team estimated that 75% of their clients can only access the internet through their phones, while the Welfare Benefits team estimates that 100% of their clients experience some form of digital exclusion.

This project will involve investigating what this level of digital exclusion means for access to justice. Working with Central England Law Centre, you will:

Investigate the scale of digital exclusion experienced across Central England Law Centre’s clients building on research undertaken by our summer intern;
Map the digitisation of legal services and courts to understand what has already moved online, what is changing and what will be digitised next;
Ascertain how digital exclusion operates nationally; and
Identify solutions and opportunities for change, including potential campaigning and policy interventions.

Project 2: Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance is the method used to calculate the amount of housing benefit that private renters receive to assist with rent, primarily through Universal Credit. It is intended to make the cheapest 30% of rental properties affordable for private renters. However, Local Housing Allowance rates have been frozen until at least April 2027 meaning that only 2.7% of homes in Great Britain are currently affordable to people receiving housing benefit.

The impact of this is significant. Families are often forced to live in unaffordable and unsuitable housing and are at increased risk of homelessness3. New protections for private renters have been and will be introduced through the Renters Rights Act 2025 and the extension of Awaab’s Law. However, the insufficiency of Local Housing Allowance rates threatens the effectiveness of these measures.

Working with Central England Law Centre, you will:

Review the current status of Local Housing Allowance and the affordability of private rental properties in Coventry;
Assess the impact of interventions introduced by Coventry City Council;
Investigate the pressures placed on local authorities by the gap between housing costs and Local Housing Allowance rates;
Produce case studies illustrating the impact of frozen Local Housing Allowance rates on individuals and families;
Identify organisations and campaigns working on Local Housing Allowance nationally and regionally.