Volunteers are the lifeblood of Marrickville Legal Centre – their dedication enables us to connect even more people in the community to justice.
Vollie Vox is a campaign dedicated to showcasing and interviewing one excellent volunteer a month. This month we’re celebrating Patrick McMahon, who started volunteering at Marrickville Legal Centre earlier this year. Patrick has been nominated because of his outstanding enthusiasm and commitment to MLC and its clients.
What inspired you to start volunteering at MLC, and what keeps you coming back?
I started volunteering at MLC through USYD’s “Law and Social Justice Clinic” program in the hopes that my passions for law and social justice would coalesce. After all, although justice is a glue that holds communities together, it can be a potent solvent of that glue, too. Fortunately, MLC helps mitigate some of justice’s more “unjust” consequences in NSW; and knowing that I am part of this ameliorating process is what encourages me to come back so often. The kind, smart and amazing people I work with are also lovely bonuses, as are the ping-pong table and coffee machine.
How do you feel your role makes a difference for our clients and community?
Although I may not necessarily change “the” world with my role at MLC, I do believe I change some of the worlds of those whom I help—I know that they certainly change mine. This is through acts as simple as genuinely asking someone about their day in a client intake to being there when someone goes vis-à-vis with the magistrate at Burwood Local Court. Although the legal outcome of our work is important, I think it is also essential to show people that we care about them, particularly when they navigate Law’s treacherous domains.
What skills have you gained while volunteering at MLC?
My time at MLC has been invaluable. This is because universities tend to focus on blackletter law; however, this is far from the reality of practice. In my first two months at MLC, I have already learnt how to, inter alia, draft and chronologise affidavits, speak to clients effectively and confidently manoeuvre the local courts. More importantly, though, I’ve become more aware of the inequities in NSW and of how to be more sympathetic and compassionate toward peoples’ plights.
What’s something that surprised you when you first started volunteering at MLC?
How much everyone is willing to help you! Before starting at MLC, I believed the trope that lawyers were, for the most part, arrogant and intimidating; however, there is not an iota of either of those “qualities” at MLC. Because everyone—and I literally mean everyone—has been so accommodating and willing to give me the time of their days, it has made learning and volunteering so seamless, fruitful and fun.
How would you describe MLC to someone thinking about getting involved?
It’s an incredible space made so by incredible people. Everyone really does care about the centre itself and the importance of helping those less fortunate than themselves. Moreover, as the world becomes increasingly tumultuous, day-to-day life may feel more futile; however, volunteering at MLC will consistently illuminate the goodness and kindness that exist in our society. This weekly reminder yields myriad fruits of contentedness; and if that isn’t enough to encourage involvement, I’m not too sure what is.
