Published on Thursday, 21 May 2026

Volunteers are and always will be our lifeblood

Volunteers Kathryn Port, Barath Baskaran, Clodagh McMahon and Camilo Ramirez-Borcherdt outside IMCL’s North Melbourne office.

Community legal centres are powered not only by the dedication of their lawyers and support staff, but also by volunteers.

Like many CLCs, Inner Melbourne Community Legal was originally established by three young volunteers way back in 1978.

Volunteering is a tradition that has continued at IMCL until the present day and in 2026 we have welcomed a fresh crop of eight volunteers.

“Volunteers continue to be the life blood of our organisation,” said IMCL Chief Executive Officer Nadia Morales.  

“They provide invaluable support to our frontline lawyers with administrative and casework support, and help to create a dynamic and energetic atmosphere in the office, bringing new ideas, reflections and enthusiasm.

“We’re committed to supporting our volunteers so that they become the future generation of committed and skilled community legal centre lawyers.”

Volunteers spend several months at IMCL and are assigned to different parts of the legal practice.

Usually working in our North Melbourne or Kensington office one day a week, they perform various tasks including helping to research cases, drafting letters to clients, reviewing documents and other administrative tasks. They also shadow lawyers in meetings and in court.

 

Vera Maitrak at work in the Kensington office.

‘I always knew I wanted to help people’

While they have diverse backgrounds, our 2026 volunteers share a passion to help others and to make the legal system fairer for people who fall through the cracks.

In the case of Vera Maitrak, a 23-year-old final year Law/Biomed double degree at Monash University who is volunteering in the Financial Assistance Scheme area at IMCL, inspiration came from her grandfather.

“I always knew I wanted to help people,” she says.

“Studying law and completing university placements allowed me to understand the law’s ability to be a vital tool in achieving justice.

“I was also inspired by my grandfather who was a strong advocate for lower-caste communities in India.

“I chose community law following in his footsteps to represent the voices of marginalised and underprivileged individuals.”

Vera says no two days are the same as a community legal volunteer and the “incredibly rewarding” experience has helped make her want to practice in the family law or family violence areas.

“My volunteer experience at IMCL has allowed me to understand the prejudices family violence victims face and the detrimental impact of the family violence on their lives. I have learnt to be more sensitive to their issues and how to respond to a particularly vulnerable individual. 

“I have also learnt a lot from my supervising lawyer, Lokesh, on how to passionately advocate for your clients and how to manage heavy caseloads and client commitments.”

‘It has been a genuinely inspiring environment to be part of’

A similar sentiment is shared by Clodagh McMahon, a 21-year-old final year Law/Arts student at Swinburne University of Technology. She is volunteering in the criminal law team at IMCL, an area she had no prior experience in.

“I have been especially drawn to community law because of its critical role in improving access to justice and working directly with people who are often excluded from or disadvantaged by the legal system,” she says.

“I find IMCL's client-focused practice and advocacy really meaningful. It’s a space where the law can be used in a tangible way to make a difference in people’s lives.”

During her time volunteering at IMCL, Clodagh has assisted with drafting letters to clients, reviewing documents, attending court, shadowing lawyers in client meetings, and helping with general file preparation and administrative tasks.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at IMCL and am very grateful for the opportunity to gain insight into what a career in the community legal sector looks like in practice.

“The team has been incredibly generous with their time and knowledge, and their compassion and commitment to their clients is evident in everything they do. It has been a genuinely inspiring environment to be part of.

“Volunteering at IMCL has solidified my hopes of pursuing a career in the community legal sector, contributing to improving access to justice and using the law as a tool for positive social change.

“Volunteering at IMCL has been an invaluable learning experience, developing both my practical legal skills and my understanding of client-focused practice. It has also given me greater confidence in navigating legal processes and engaging with clients in a professional and empathetic way.”

Twenty-three-year-old Sol Laslett has also been volunteering  in the crime practice and aspires to work as a criminal defence lawyer.

“Volunteering at IMCL has exposed me to the daily operations of a community legal centre and the nature of criminal defence law generally,” he says.

“Additionally, the tasks I have been undertaking have helped me develop applicable skills that I can build upon throughout my career.”

Kathryn Port, Barath Baskaran and Clodagh McMahon have all gained something out of volunteering at IMCL.

‘Every task seems to teach me something new’

Barath Baskaran, 22, is working in IMCL’s tenancy team while studying for a combined Law and Commerce degree at Deakin University.

“So far I’ve mainly been given research tasks, which has involved looking into different tenancy-related legal issues and helping the team build out information they can use to assist clients,” he says.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. Every task seems to teach me something new, whether it’s a piece of legislation, how a particular issue plays out in practice, or just the way a community legal centre operates day-to-day.

“The work has been interesting and engaging, and the team has been great to work with, which makes the experience even better.”

While Barath has not decided what area of law he will focus on when he graduates, he says the experience of volunteering at a community legal centre has certainly broadened his horizons.

“At this stage of my degree, my main goal is to explore as many different areas of law as I can so I can figure out where I want to focus my career long-term.

“Volunteering at IMCL has been really valuable in that regard.

“It’s given me a genuine introduction to tenancy law, which I hadn’t had much exposure to before, and it’s also shown me what working in a legal practice actually looks like beyond the theory we learn at university.

“That practical knowledge, combined with the experience of being part of a working legal team, has been incredibly useful in helping me think about what kind of lawyer I want to be.”

At 43, Jennifer Binergas has come to volunteer at IMCL after working in union and community organising for most of the past two decades since she migrated to Australia from the Philippines in 2003.

This has exposed her to the challenges for marginalised people to seek relief for their daily individual legal issues, mostly due to economic disadvantage.

“I consider that practice in community law offers the opportunity to deliver timely and practical support to individuals while still continuing to advocate for the human rights across the community,” she says.

“I am hoping to have the opportunity to work at a community legal centre, or if not, still be able to continue to volunteer my time working in one.

“Initially, I was not sure if I was going to practice law after graduation.

“However, volunteering at IMCL made me appreciate the practical and strategic value of legal expertise in advancing clients' interests, which confirmed my decision to enter legal practice.”

‘Being a part of anything remotely close to this would be a dream’

But volunteering roles at IMCL are not just confined to prospective lawyers.

Kathryn Port, 23, graduated from Deakin University last year with majors in Sociology and Anthropology and has been volunteering in the research and community legal education team.

“Although I didn’t study law in university, I’m driven to a career in community law as a researcher as I am passionate about community health and creating social change, and I believe community legal centres are a massive part of that,” she says.

“I believe there are a number of issues facing those attempting to access legal services around Australia, and any research or education that goes towards strengthening everyone’s legal capabilities and access to legal services is something I want to be a part of.”

At IMCL, Kathryn has helped gather data to showcase demographic information within our catchment area, access to justice gaps, perceptions of law, and the effectiveness of different initiatives employed by CLCs.

“I don’t have any solid plans for the future as of yet, but I can say being a part of IMCL has been very valuable and doing anything or being a part of anything remotely close to this would be a dream,” she says.

Some volunteers will continue with the centre after their placement is finished.

“Over the years IMCL has nurtured many volunteers to become IMCL employees, providing a training pathway for them to become paralegals, graduate lawyers and ultimately practising lawyers,” Ms Morales said.

“These staff members remain with the organisation for many years and become expert community lawyers.”