Kan Seng Law graduated from the City Law School after completing the LLM Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) programme in 2023. Throughout his time in education, he has been passionate about giving back to others through volunteering in a range of capacities. Kan's story shows us that even as a busy student, there is always time to put aside some hours to support our local communities through volunteering.  

What volunteering had you already been involved in before coming to the UK?  

In Malaysia, where I'm from, I was involved in a weekly recycling programme, which raised money for NGOs and charities there. At the same time, I also tutored child refugees from Myanmar in English and Maths. The children I tutored were so cute and eager to learn, I really looked forward to seeing them every week. Through this, I met many people and felt like I could actually contribute to society by volunteering!  

How did you continue with volunteering once you moved to the UK?  

I moved to Belfast for my Undergraduate Degree at Queen's University. At this time, I thought, I really want to help people in any way I can, since I believe all law students should have a passion to give back to society. And this is flexible, you can give back with not just money, but with time, energy and knowledge. To me, volunteering is a win-win situation, you benefit as a volunteer whilst the community benefits from your contribution too. I think that finding solutions to other peoples' problems can be very fulfilling - you can witness how your work can change lives!  

When I came to City for the BVS, I got involved in a lot of pro bono legal work. I volunteered every week for the Westway Trust, who work with the local community to help North Kensington thrive. In this role, I was responsible for giving support and advice to people visiting the centre, such as supporting them to apply for the benefits they were eligible for. I really felt like this work helped to break down accessibility boundaries.  

I also volunteer weekly for the Legal Advice Service at the Waterloo Action Centre in Southwark. This experience was great - the volunteering is so real, and I felt like a real lawyer! I support clients with a range of issues, including divorce law, contract law, and housing law for tenants. I think this experience is what proved my passion for law to future employers, and that it helped me get hired into the role I'm in now as a Paralegal at Good Law International. In fact, I am still volunteering with them today despite having a full-time legal job. 

What's your advice for someone starting at City?  

At City, there is so much happening around you so make sure you go out and explore what's out there. You might miss out on some things but try to get to know about all the opportunities that are made available to you. You can search online for different things you can get involved in.   

Volunteering really helped me to develop a range of skills. It taught me how to juggle my studies around my work and my volunteering, improving my time management skills. I also further developed my people skills, as my ability to talk to people and communicate with different groups of people grew over time. Each week was so exciting, I met so many different people with different stories, backgrounds, thoughts, ideas and feelings. Volunteering helped me prepare for the working world, from gaining new skills in people and task management to improving my commercial awareness. I would recommend it to anyone, and it is never too late to start volunteering!  

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