1. Recruiting, Retention and
Recognition
of Volunteers in
The European Law Students’
Association
GRUNDTVIG PARTNERSHIP PROJECT
IVISOC
“IMPROVING VOLUNTEERING IN SOCIAL
CARE”

2. This is !
•Founded on 4th
of May 1981 in Wien (ELSA Romania – 6th
of
December 1990)
•International, independent, apolitical, nonprofit
•The worlds’ greatest independent law students’ association
•Over 45,000 students in over 300 colleges and universities from 40
countries
•Consultative statute for some of United Nations’ institutions (United
Nations Economic and Social Council– ECOSOC, United Nations
Commission on International Trade Law– UNCITRAL, etc), the Council
of Europe, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization) and cooperative statute for the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of UN

3. ELSA philosophy : “A just world in which there is respect for
human dignity and cultural diversity.”
ELSA purpose :
o Promoting law students’ opportunities, in the spirit of critical dialogue and
scientific cooperation
o Contribution in forming bright and cultured jurists with high professional skills
o Encourage Law students and young jurists involve and act for a “healthy” society

4. Recruiting
• set up the recruitment calendar and recruitment plan, with the participation of the entire
Local Board of ELSA
• Give a presentation of the association at the academic year opening (held by the PR Director
or by the President); Give presentation of the association, held in every classroom by various
volunteers of ELSA
• Posters that announce the start of the recruitment period
• On the Internet
• In the ELSA office
• 2 or 3 volunteers stay (in shifts) in the central lobby, in the cafeteria or in other hot spots and
give students flyers and talk about ELSA
• Organise at least 2 main events, law-themed and ELSA-specific, one before the recruitment
and the other after the recruitment (and it is actually organized by the new volunteers)
• Students that are interested are invited to fill in a application form that reveals personal
facts, academic life and 5 or 6 trick-questions. The questionnaires are graded by ELSA
members that have had an active role in the associtaion for 2 or 3 years.

5. •Depending on the procent of the questions answered and the answer given, the
volunteers are invited to present to an interview that will be held with older and
active ELSA members
•The interview consists in a discusion, with several logic quiestions and some skill-
revealing exercises, different for every single volunteer.
•A Feedback is given to the volunteer and he is guided to choose a department that
the evaluators thought might be fit to the expectations and needs of the volunteer
•TIE – “This Is ELSA” Training – held for all the newcomers. They are informed, once
again, about the association and its purpose, the departments are presented
•Team-building training, organised for the new volunteers: games, tips, fictive
projects. The most well organised fictive project will be actually coorinated by all new
vounteers
•Atfer-recruitment party with all the recruits and ELSA members and ELSA Seniors
•“Communication is the key to great succes” – new members bound with older
members

6. DOs
• the Board should create his own calendar by setting
the goals (including projects and all the activities) for
the semester. The HR Vice-President will set up the
actual the recruitment calendar.
• Assessing the need for members in association –
objective analysis over the existing active members
and the number of recruits needed in order to
accomplish the goals.
• Promoting the event – by any means: flyers,
posters, group mails, Facebook, even short
presentations of the Board and the association for
those who haven’t heard of your association.
• Involving the entire HR department in recruitments.
• Sketching the profile of an ideal recruit – not
something too inflexible, just some guidelines (very
adaptable
• Deciding over some stages of selection – in ELSA
Romania there are 3: application form, interview
and probation.
• Training the recruiters - to make sure everyone
involved in recruitment has equal standards and
uses the same methods and criteria.
• Providing the accurate information for those
interested to be part of ELSA – the applicants should
be notified in advance about the selection stages
and the recruitment calendar.
• Be sure to give your volunteers constant praise and
thanks for the work that they do.
DON’Ts
• Stay away from clichés like "Make a
Difference"
• Don’t just try to fill in an empty position
• Don’t make assumptions about the person
• Don’t recruit volunteers without
induction or interview
• Don’t make financial promises to the
volunteers (substantial win of money or
goods)
• Don’t choose only the young volunteers –
everybody should be in!
• Asking everyone to volunteer – Narrow
the field; make a list of names and
telephone numbers of five people you
think would be good for the task in order
of who would be the best fit for the job,
who would be second best, and so on.

7. Retaining
• Trainings: Law themed & Personal development (project management,
fundraising, negotiation skills, public speaking)
• National and International Scholarships or Internships at the Bar or other
institutions, with renown jurists
• National and International Summer Law Schools. A specific subject is discussed
during one or two weeks with great jurists and trainings are held. The social
impact of the Summer School is unmeasurable for the ELSA member
• Moot Court Competitions – chance to make themselves known + great way to
find out which law career should they follow
• Themed parties (once in a while)
• National and International Council Meetings with all ELSA members, that are held
twice a year (disseminating, trainings, socializing, parties)
• Promotions: a recruit is an observatory member. If he is active in organizing
project or in participating at the NCMs, he is voted by the ELSA members, in order
to become an “active member”. An active member has voting rights.

8. • After 6 months of volunteering for ELSA, a member gains the right to candidate
for vicepresident of a department, treasurer, general secretary or president.
• Job opportunities throughout internships and relations established with jurists
• Multitude of projects and activities – everybody can be part in any of it
• Volunteers and the other students are always in track with the laws (discuss,
debate, rise against)
• Equal treatment between our “plain” volunteers and the volunteers with
responsibilities, as Vice-presidents
• Permanent communication – internal and external newsletter (volunteers,
professors, partners, sponsors)
• All active members that involve in organizing an event receive a diploma

9. DOs DON’Ts
1. Open talk about the volunteers’ expectations
regarding the association and his present/future
activity
2. Always give orientation and training sessions
3. Peer to peer support and budding
4. Formal supervision – with a member of the
management team
5. Supervise – ordinary and from “the shadow”
6. Organize panel discussions with the participation
of others associations’ members (same field or not) –
advantages and disadvantages or their activity in
that organization
7. Invite known people of the field you’re volunteering
in to keep training sessions to the other – grows
motivation
8. Always keep in touch and talk free with your
colleagues and the other volunteers –
communication is vital for self-motivation (sessions,
annual general meetings, social events)
9. A well-structured hierarchy makes a functional
organization– keeps up the good work (either you
cover a field or a bunch of others)
10. Design a worksheet for each project
11. Determine what information skills and tools the
volunteer must already have and what training you
will provide
12. Recruit experienced volunteers to be project team
leaders.
1. Never brake the rules, philosophy and purpose of
your association – those rules are made to be taken
into consideration!
2. Never discriminate - Everybody can be a volunteer
3. You can never compel the volunteer – after all, he’s
only volunteering!
4. Don’t treat the volunteers as they would be paid
subordinates of yours!
5. Don’t keep a lazy and inactive volunteer, that no
longer identifies himself with the association
philosophy and purpose
6. Don’t expect a volunteer to stay longer to finish a
task
7. Assuming that everyone will volunteer when asked
to sign a sheet or raise their hands at a meeting
8. Assuming that people will say no. Instead, assume
that people will say yes, people like to be asked and
it shows that you respect their work and what they
have to offer.
9. Letting new volunteers loose on a project. Assign
low risk tasks to new volunteers until they prove to
be dependable.

10. Recognition
• ELSA volunteers have the chance to participate at National and International project: Council
Meetings, Summer Schools, Scholarships, paid Internships. Throughout these, they improve
their knowledge, aquire specific information on a certain law area and meet renown jurists.
• Diplomas and/or attendance certificates are given after every project they organize or
coordinate
• “Volunteer of the month” and “Volunteer of the year” – active members with high interest
in ELSA’s activities and projects are voted by the Local Council of ELSA and are awarded with
some kind of prize, besides the title he earned.
• Meeting influent people and renown jurists and bounding with them
• Moot Court Competitions – chance to make themselves known. It’s also a great way to find
out which law career should they follow
• A successful project brings personal and professional satisfaction of the volunteers that
organized it. They will “auto-motivate” for a while
• Showing a free spirit and mind, helping the volunteer to grow as a human
• Awards received in front of all ELSA members during National or International Council
Meetings
• Our Alumni are called “seniors” and have a special statute among us
• The prestige of volunteering in the only independent international students’ association in
the law field
• Being elected in a local or in the national or international board of ELSA is the greatest
recognition of all!
• Recognition for non-ELSA members: those who have helped the association in a significant
way and show respect and devotion to our association (mostly proffesors, jurists) become
Honorific Members of the association

11. DOs DON’Ts
1. Peer to peer support and budding
2. Organise panel discussions with the
participation of others associations’
members (same field or not) - advantages
and disadvantages or their activity in that
organization
3. Always keep in touch and talk free with
your colleagues and the other volunteers
– communication is vital for self-
motivation (sessions, annual general
meetings, social events)
4. Partners and sponsors: let your partners
and sponsors know the details of every
project you organize (transparency)
5. Request feedback for a supervisor
6. Request self evaluation
1. Providing no public recognition, Or worse,
hogging it for yourself.
2. Thinking volunteers cannot be fired .
Volunteers perform essential tasks and
jobs. They must be responsible and
produce the agreed upon work, and must
be given an opportunity to improve, but if
they do not, then they must be relieved of
their job.
3. Never discriminate based on gender, age,
sex, rase, etc.

13. Thank you!
Questions & Answers
Grundtvig
Improoving Volunteering in Social Care
Kilkis 2013
Mădălina Marinescu