Alex Choi
Student, Alex, has been volunteering at the Law Centre since October 2019. Whilst completing his studies in Law at Goldsmiths University, he also works alongside the money advice team once a week. This involves considerable client contact, which has taken place primarily over the phone in recent months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also helps his clients through drafting documents and speaking to different organisations.
Alex finds this experience very rewarding, as he is able to give back to the community and work with some of the most vulnerable people in the country. For him, what makes it all worth it is that his little bit of help can make the client’s life a little bit better.
But that doesn’t mean that Alex’s role isn’t challenging. As part of the money advice team, Alex often encounters people who are really struggling with their financial situation, and many of these people have underlying issues, such as mental or physical health conditions. This means that initial meetings with clients can frequently be quite emotional, for example a particular client that stands out to Alex is a refugee single mother who had bad health conditions and was really struggling with her finances and debts.
Through all these experiences, Alex has been able to develop key skills that will go with him in his career. He says:
“From key professional skills, through talking confidently to clients and institutions, to training with a fantastic and experienced team, it’s been a special and unique experience working for the Law Centre’s money advice team.”
Alex hopes to qualify a solicitor, but believes that volunteering for the Law Centre would help with essentially any chosen career path.