The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations, nonprofits and other private-sector organizations around the globe.
The Northeast Chapter of ACC provides pro bono services to the communities in which we work and live. We have partnered with Mintz, Corporate Pro Bono, and Lawyers Clearinghouse for over 10 years to host a Clinic-in-a-Box once a year. This is a very successful program where in a half-day, we meet with and provide assistance to local nonprofits who need legal help or advice.
If you would like any more information, please feel free to contact Julie Duffy, Executive Director, ACC Northeast Chapter. Also, you can click HERE to view an informative video highlighting the new Pro Bono and Civic Engagement Committee. For your additional viewing pleasure, Sue Finegan, a partner at Mintz, discusses activities for in-house lawyers and legal departments in this new VIDEO.
The Pro Bono Institute's 2025 Conference is the legal profession’s premier pro bono event tailored to the interests and needs of pro bono leaders at law firms, in-house legal departments, and legal services organizations. It will be held from February 26 through February 28 in Washington, D.C. Follow this LINK to learn more about this annual event.
Lawyers Clearinghouse, which has a large roster of non-profits seeking legal assistance on transactional matters, homeless individuals seeking legal advice, and also offers workshops and training.
Discovering Justice, which connects students in K-12 with legal professionals (through mentoring and speaking engagements) to help build a deeper understanding of our judicial system and the many paths towards justice.
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), assists unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children who are fleeing violence and seeking protection in the United States. There is no court appointed counsel in immigration court, even for children, and about 60 percent of unaccompanied children do not have lawyers. Many of the children are eligible to stay in the United States, but without a lawyer, 9 in 10 children will be ordered deported. KIND works to ensure as many children as possible have high quality legal representation by recruiting volunteer lawyers from law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and bar associations. KIND’s pro bono program provides all the necessary training and guidance and is designed so that no previous immigration experience is required.
Project Citizenship provides fee legal services to help eligible immigrants in New England apply for U.S. citizenship. From determining eligibility through the naturalization ceremony, we work to make high-quality legal services accessible, focusing on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. We recruit volunteers to participate in-person and/or virtually at citizenship workshops (application assistance or "quality control" review) and at naturalization interviews to represent applicants with disabilities. Training and real-time mentorship is provided; no immigration knowledge or experience is required.
The Volunteer Lawyers Project organizes regular clinics at which lawyers provide legal advice and assist with drafting legal documents on a variety of guardianship and family law issues, including divorce, custody, child support, parenting, contempt, and modification actions. All volunteers attend a training and a shadowing session in advance of participating in the clinic, and a VLP staff attorney reviews all drafted documents before the client leaves the meeting. There are both in-person and virtual opportunities available, and there is no ongoing representation of clients required.
South Coastal Counties Legal Services, located on Cape Cod, has received an influx of requests from older, low-income adults in need of basic life planning documents. SCCLS has put together a limited-scope representation project through which volunteer attorneys from the private bar, regardless of experience level, can assist with drafting simple wills, durable powers of attorney, and health care proxies for these individuals. SCCLS has developed templates of all of these documents, and it asks clients fill out a questionnaire and go through an intake process. Volunteer attorneys then use the questionnaire, intake form, and template documents to put together preliminary drafts of the client’s documents on their own time, in advance of the clinic day. On the day of the clinic, the clients come into their local Council on Aging’s office. Volunteers, either remotely or in-person, review the documents with clients, and SCCLS staff handles formal execution and keeping of copies of the originals. There is no ongoing representation after the clinic. About a handful or clients are seen at each clinic.
Expungement: Lawyers Clearinghouse Criminal Offender Record Information (“CORI”) Sealing Project
Lawyers Clearinghouse provides free legal assistance to individuals in Boston seeking to seal or expunge their criminal records through its full representation CORI sealing clinics. The clinics typically begin with a half hour introductory session for volunteers, followed by two client meetings, each lasting about one hour. While some matters will be wrapped up entirely during the clinic, others will require follow-up work, including discretionary sealings and expungements that require a court appearance.
Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) provides high quality, free civil legal assistance for people living in poverty in Greater Boston. Every day, GBLS attorneys, paralegals, and volunteers provide critical legal assistance to individuals and families who could otherwise not afford a lawyer to help them assert their rights and meet their most basic needs, including food, safety, and housing. Currently, three out of every five potential clients with legitimate legal claims must be turned away due to limited staffing resources. You can help.
Below is a brief description of current pro bono opportunities at GBLS. We provide training and support for all pro bono attorneys and volunteers. For additional information, please email Pro Bono and Volunteer Coordinator Amanda Melvin at amelvin@gbls.org.
IMMIGRATION LAW: Immigration relief for immigrant survivors of abuse, trafficking, or other crimes.
Your role: Prepare and file U Visa petitions or Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions with USCIS for non-citizen immigrant victims of crime.
The U visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows noncitizen victims of crime to live and work in the U.S. for a period of up to four years. Congress created U visas in 2000 as part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act (VTVPA). In order to be eligible, victims must have reported the crime(s) to law enforcement and participated in the investigation in a way that law enforcement will certify has been helpful. Attorneys can also file for adjustment of status at the expiration of the U visa, to apply for lawful permanent residence.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides protections for non-citizens who are victims of domestic violence and who are the child, parent, or current/former spouse of a United States citizen or a permanent resident (green card holder) and are abused by the citizen or permanent resident. A VAWA petition allows immigrant victims and survivors of domestic violence to apply for a green card themselves without needing the abuser to file for immigration benefits on their behalf. VAWA provisions apply equally to men and women.
EMPLOYMENT LAW: Help individuals who want to work get back on their feet and access the resources available to them to keep their households financially stable. Remove barriers to employment through Criminal Record (CORI) Sealing & Expungement.
Your role: Past criminal records stop countless people from getting jobs, housing, and access to other opportunities. Most criminal records can be sealed after a waiting period through an administrative process or by a judge without a waiting period in certain circumstances. You’ll serve as a pro bono advocate for clients who are eligible to seal or expunge their criminal record.
CONSUMER RIGHTS: Protect low-income consumers from unfair debt collection. Clinics meet in-person: East Boston Division-BMC weekly on Tuesdays, 8:30-12pm; Chelsea District Court weekly on Wednesdays, 8:30-12pm; Roxbury Municipal Court on Wednesdays, 1-4:30pm
Your role: Represent low-income consumers on a limited basis in Small Claims court, primarily in cases involving credit card debt acquired by debt collection firms. In many cases, debt buyers cannot prove that they own the debt at issue, that they are collecting from the right person, or that they are collecting the right amount. Pro bono advocates represent clients on an LAR basis on the day of the hearing. Hearings are informal and generally take no more than 10-15 minutes.
HOUSING: Support Massachusetts residents in sealing their eviction records. (Coming Soon)
Your role: On August 6, 2024, the Governor signed into law The Affordable Homes Act (aka the Housing Bond bill) with eviction record sealing protections. This is important legislation that for the first time will give tenants in Massachusetts the ability to seal an eviction record when the law goes into effect in early May. You will be helping clients who are eligible to seal their records file the required documentation through an online process that will generally take no more than 10 minutes.
ALL would be delighted to hear from ACC Northeast members.
Nature of opportunity: Legal research, advocacy, or litigation.
General Information:
ACLU Maine, located in Portland, provides lawyers for people whose constitutional rights have been violated or who have been the victim of illegal discrimination.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: No.
American Bar Association: Free Legal Answers, Maine
Qualifying users post their civil legal question to the state’s website, and they will be emailed when their question receives a response.
Attorney volunteers (must be authorized to provide pro-bono assistance in their state) will log in to the website and select questions to answer and provide legal advice and information.
Nature of opportunity: Longer term representation.
General Information:
Provides low-income individuals with immigration legal help, through an in-depth one-time consultation or full legal representation in complex multi-year cases.
ILAP offers direct legal services, education & outreach, and systemic advocacy- programs can be found here.
The Pro-Bono Panel consists of volunteer attorneys. Workload is dependent on the client and case.
ILAP conducts client intake and preliminary research on each case before deciding to accept it and place it with an attorney on the Pro Bono Panel.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Provides mentoring with members of the Asylum Team or experienced members of the Pro Bono Panel.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the case.
Opportunities for staff: Yes (interpreters/translators).
Contact information for each individual PTLA county offices can be found here.
Nature of opportunity: Legal advocacy.
General Information:
PTLA provides legal advocacy to Maine residents with low incomes who need help with serious civil legal aid issues.
Volunteer attorneys provides services to veterans, homeowners, individuals facing tax, student loan, and credit card debt, students excluded from school, and tenants facing eviction.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Provided; more information can be found here.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the case.
Opportunities for staff: Yes. Volunteers with expertise as a CPA, enrolled agent, tax consultants, and other professionals, including but not limited to event planners and web design specialists.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from clinic to brief service to full representation.
General Information:
VLP acts as a nexus, connecting pro bono attorneys and individuals with civil legal issues who cannot afford attorneys.
To become a volunteer attorney, you must join their network which will then lead you to steps on how you can help.
Projects include CourtHouse Assistance Projects, Family Law Helpline, Small Claims Courthouse Clinic, Domestic Violence Pro Bono Panel, Lewiston Protection from Abuse Program, Workers’ Rights Clinic, Small Business/Non-Profit Legal Clinic, Wabanaki Health and Wellness Clinic, Maine Homeless Legal Project, and Acadia Hospital Clinic.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the case.
Opportunities for staff: Yes, to do intake, interviews, and to be coordinators, assistants, and advocates. More information can be found here.
** The information contained within is for informational purposes only. The organizations listed have not been vetted or endorsed by Pro Bono Institute or its Corporate Pro Bono Project.
Nature of opportunity: Virtual legal advice clinic.
General Information:
Qualifying users post their civil legal question to their state's website. Users will then be emailed when their question receives a response.
Attorney volunteers select questions to answer and provide legal information and advice.
Volunteer attorneys will not answer criminal law questions.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: You can register as a volunteer and watch a brief video training before getting started.
Estimated time commitment:There is no required time commitment, although they encourage you to answer at least one question a month.
Opportunities for staff: No. Open to all attorneys in good standing who are licensed to practice law in Massachusetts or registered for pro bono status with the Board of Bar Overseers, including in house counsel.
Nature of opportunity:Volunteer opportunities include Court Advocacy. Volunteers attend District and Probate Court to provide support and information to people in domestic-abuse situations.
General Information:
Works to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault in the Nantucket community.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Provided and required.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes (outreach and office work).
Nature of opportunity: Dependent upon the opportunity.
General Information:
The Ascentria Immigration Legal Assistance Program provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrants in Massachusetts. Their team of legal professionals and lawyers offers legal advice and representation to complete immigration applications and petitions.
Ascentria’s ILAP serves a wide range of new Americans and survivors of violent crime.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Center for Public Representation (CPR) is dedicated to enforcing and expanding the rights of people with disabilities and others who are in segregated settings. CPR uses legal strategies, advocacy, and policy to design and implement systemic reform initiatives to promote their integration and full community participation.
Works on state, national, and international level.
CPR relies upon pro bono for individuals with disabilities in civil rights damage actions, civil commitment, treatment guardianship, Medicaid, and Social Security matters.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent upon the opportunity.
General Information:
Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts (CLCM) aims to secure equal justice and maximize opportunity for low-income children and youth across the state by providing quality, culturally sensitive advocacy and legal services.
The CLCM provides a comprehensive array of legal representation in the areas of education, child welfare (abuse & neglect), immigration, juvenile justice, and various other matters such as mental health, insurance access, family-law related issues, and support to victims of crime.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
This bimonthly clinic connects low-income clients who have questions about their criminal records with volunteer attorneys who can help.
Volunteers must then virtually attend at least one CORI Sealing Clinic where you will be matched with a client in a Zoom breakout room.
After attending one virtual clinic, volunteers can be placed on our referral panel. As cases become available, clients will be referred to the panel.
Volunteers are expected to take on the client on a pro bono basis. This includes helping intake clients and assist with CORI request forms, administrative sealing forms, and any administrative sealing hearings after the clinic.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Volunteers are trained in advance regarding CORI laws and procedures. Then they are able to sign-up for the clinic that works most with their schedule.
Training and/or mentoring: Training, ongoing supervision and long-term mentorship by staff and senior volunteers.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes. De Novo offers volunteer opportunities for lawyers, interpreters, paralegals, intake workers, law students and non-legal professionals.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent upon the opportunity.
General Information:
Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) provides free legal assistance and representation on civil (noncriminal) matters to hundreds of the neediest residents in the city of Boston and 31 surrounding cities and towns.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from brief advice (phone, online, clinic) to longer term representation.
General Information:
The Hampden County Legal Clinic is a free legal assistance service that advises low income persons on issues relating to family, consumer and housing law. The clinic is sponsored by the Hampden County Bar Association with financial support from the Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Trainings provided.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from clinics to longer term representations.
General Information:
The Legal Referral Program connects Massachusetts nonprofits with volunteer lawyers. They also host a wide range of expert-led workshops for nonprofits and offer in-depth legal reviews of nonprofit operations through the Legal Assessment Program. Additionally, lawyers may volunteer with the Pro Bono Consultation Series, which offers an opportunity to assist a nonprofit on discrete topics such as policy review in a clinic-style setting
The Legal Clinic for the Homeless program provides legal assistance to the homeless at eight shelter locations. Lawyers are also invited to join the Legal Clinic Panel, composed of volunteer attorneys that handle pro bono cases with the assistance of the Clearinghouse’s resources and mentoring capacity.
The Access to Justice Fellows Program pairs lawyers who are retired or transitioning to retirement with non-profit and legal services organizations to provide critical assistance to underserved individuals and community and public interest groups.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from clinics to longer term representation.
General Information:
Business Legal Clinics: Pro bono attorneys meet with entrepreneurs for 30-minute one-on-one sessions to respond to questions.
Pro Bono Legal Representation: Attorneys agree to represent individual entrepreneurs on discrete business law matters. The representation is limited to the resolution of these discrete legal needs.
Workshops on Business Legal Issues: Pro bono attorneys can work with LCR to develop curricula and conduct legal workshops to classes of entrepreneurs at collaborating community organizations on legal topics relevant to small business owners.
Training Community Organizations: LCR also uses the service of pro bono attorneys to train staff members at collaborating organizations who work with entrepreneurs to educate them on legal issues entrepreneurs confront in the formation and operation of their businesses.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent upon the opportunity.
General Information:
MAC is dedicated to being an independent and effective voice for children who face significant barriers to equal educational and life opportunities. MAC’s constituency are those children who face the greatest barriers to educational success, due to disability, race/ethnicity, language and/or poverty.
MAC seeks attorney volunteers for its helpline and to provide pro bono or low-cost services to low-income families. Intake, mentoring and case handling volunteer opportunities available.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Mentoring by MAC staff and private attorneys, training manuals and videos are offered.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from research to clinics to longer term representation.
General Information:
MLP | Boston improves the health and well-being of vulnerable populations by supporting the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of social needs with legal solutions. With the support of a network of pro bono partners and legal aid agency peers, MLP | Boston’s team of lawyers and paralegals provides direct legal assistance to eligible patients treated at participating health care institutions.
Contributions by these volunteers include accepting individual case referrals; “adopting” a health clinic and staffing a weekly legal clinic there; conducting research on ethics and confidentiality issues arising in the MLP model; and engaging in systemic advocacy in partnership with clinicians.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
MetroWest Legal Services
63 Fountain Street, Suite 304
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: (508) 620-1830
Nature of opportunity: Variety of opportunities offered.
General Information:
MetroWest Legal Services provides free civil legal aid to low-income people and victims of crime. Their priority practice areas include Family Law, Housing, Homeless Advocacy, Government Benefits (including Social Security), Education, Elder Law & Immigration.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Lawrence Office
50 Island Street
Suite 203A
Lawrence, MA 01840
Nature of opportunity: Ranges from brief legal advice to longer term representation.
General Information:
Northeast Legal Aid (NLA) helps low-income and elderly people of Northeast Massachusetts obtain justice and empowerment through skillful, creative, and persistent advocacy for systemic change and high-quality individual representation.
NLA offers free civil legal services to low income and elderly individuals and families in northeast Massachusetts.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent upon the opportunity.
General Information:
The Rian Immigrant Center’s expert legal staff and pro bono attorneys offer free legal consultations at weekly legal clinics to over 2,000 immigrants, refugees, and asylees, and provide full case representation before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for over 600 families.
They help low-income and under-served immigrants to gain legal status, work authorization, and to reunite their families so they can become empowered, reach stability, and move out of poverty.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from full representation referrals to pro se family law workshops, consumer debt clinics, and estate planning workshops.
General Information:
Gives free civil (non-criminal) legal help to low-income and elderly people, and victims of crime.
Issue areas include housing, family law, unemployment, SNAP, government benefits, SSI, elder law, bankruptcy, education law and more. SCCLS also provides group representation and community education.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent upon the opportunity.
General Information:
Most VLA cases involve small business matters such as copyright, entity formation, corporate governance, and contracts.
Some involve more “traditional” civil legal aid matters, including bankruptcy, landlord/tenant, labor and employment, immigration, family law, and tort.
Patent opportunities also available.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes.
Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (VLP)
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from short-term projects to longer term representation.
General Information:
VLP offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, from case handling to short-term projects (including Limited Assistance Representation court projects, clinics, and advice hotlines, so that volunteers can sign up for a discrete block of time on a particular day and the commitment does not extend beyond that day).
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Provided.
Estimated time commitment:Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: No.
** The information contained within is for informational purposes only. The organizations listed have not been vetted or endorsed by Pro Bono Institute or its Corporate Pro Bono Project.
Qualifying users post their civil legal question to their state's website. Users will then be emailed when their question receives a response.
Attorney volunteers, who must be authorized to provide pro bono assistance in their state, log in to the website, select questions to answer, and provide legal information and advice.
Volunteer attorneys will not answer criminal law questions.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: When you register as a volunteer, you can watch a brief video training before getting started.
Estimated time commitment: Completely up to the volunteer.
The Disabilities Rights Center (DRC) is dedicated to eliminating barriers existing in New Hampshire to the full and equal enjoyment of civil and other legal rights by people with disabilities.
DRC-NH is always looking for opportunities to partner with law firms to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities in individual or class action litigation, investigations of suspected incidents of neglect or abuse, and policy development.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Depends on the opportunity.
General Information:
LARC is a private, nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal services to eligible, low-income people in New Hampshire. LARC receives support from the federal government and provide services to clients with incomes and assets below levels which are set by Congress and tied to federal poverty guidelines.
LARC provides referrals to private attorney volunteers.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the opportunity.
Low-Income Taxpayer Project
Coordinator: Barbara G. Heggie, Esq.
Call: 603-228-6028
Email: bheggie@nhbar.org
Nature of opportunity: Tax law.
General Information:
Created by the NH Pro Bono Referral Program, the Low-Income Tax Project helps low-income taxpayers with federal tax controversies under $50,000. A low-income taxpayer is someone whose income is not more than 250% of the federal poverty guidelines. So, a family of four making $59,625 or less qualifies for this program.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Ranging from brief advice to short legal services to longer term representation.
General Information:
New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) is a private non-profit law firm with five offices which provide legal services statewide. NHLA has a proud history of aggressive, creative advocacy for low income and elderly clients in federal and state courts, as well as legislative and administrative forums.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes. Volunteers with all types of skills, from legal to administrative to fundraising and beyond are needed to complement the work of NHLA.
** The information contained within is for informational purposes only. The organizations listed have not been vetted or endorsed by Pro Bono Institute or its Corporate Pro Bono Project.
Nature of opportunity: Ranges from giving advice and counsel to writing a letter on behalf of a client to actual representation in court.
General Information:
The Rhode Island Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyer Program/Pro Bono Project provides services to low-income clients on non-criminal civil cases.
As a participating attorney, you are asked to accept one or two cases per year on a pro bono basis. You may specify the areas of law in which you prefer to take cases.
You will be contacted by the VLP staff and given the background information on the client and case. You then decide whether or not to take the case. If you accept, you will meet the client directly and handle the matter to its conclusion.
Training and/or mentoring: The Rhode Island Bar Association offers a broad range of support including: free CLE training programs and materials, free malpractice insurance to cover most pro bono cases, reimbursement for litigation costs and other out-of-pocket expenses with prior approval, and access to mentor attorneys.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Depends on organization’s current needs. Clinic opportunity described below.
General Information:
The objective of the Homeless Legal Clinic (HLC) is to serve in an outreach capacity by seeking out homeless and at-risk clients at Rhode Island shelters.
The HLC can provide direct legal services to those who cannot afford an attorney or may be unable to travel to a legal assistance office.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided by Rhode Island Volunteer Lawyer Program (VLP).
Training and/or mentoring: Training provided.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: No.
United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island – Civil Pro Bono Program
Nature of opportunity: Longer term representation.
General Information:
On July 1, 2014, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island adopted a Plan for Pro Bono Representation in Civil Cases to provide representation to indigent defendants in a limited number of civil cases each year.
Panel participation offers a unique opportunity to gain experience in civil litigation in federal court while providing a valuable community service.
Attorneys seeking to join the Court’s Civil Pro Bono Panel should review the following documents before submitting an application to join the panel:
Malpractice Insurance: Not provided. All Panel attorneys must, either individually or through a firm, maintain professional liability insurance.
Training and/or mentoring: Training provided.
Estimated time commitment: Longer term representation, dependent on appointments.
Opportunities for staff: No.
** The information contained within is for informational purposes only. The organizations listed have not been vetted or endorsed by Pro Bono Institute or its Corporate Pro Bono Project.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent on the opportunity.
General Information:
You’ll receive monthly updates with information about current needs.
Choose the activities you are most excited to help with, based on how much time you can give.
Tasks vary from month to month and there are no regular hours you must commit to.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Volunteers must attend an orientation to learn more about the ACLU of Vermont's advocacy and community work and responsibilities when representing the ACLU at public events.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes, depending on the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Dependent on the opportunity.
General Information:
Regional AIDS service organization providing direct services to people living with HIV/AIDS, and HIV prevention services to those at most risk in Windham, Bennington, and southern Windsor counties.
Mission: provide direct services to those whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS, offer education to help prevent its spread, and promote understanding within the communities served.
Volunteers can donate time on a variety of issues including legal issues.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Dependent on the opportunity.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes, depending on the opportunity.
Nature of opportunity: Virtual legal advice clinic. Attorneys can structure the opportunity as a clinic by coordinating a set time when they will answer questions.
General Information:
Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal advice website. Qualifying users post their civil legal question to their state's website. Users will then be emailed when their question receives a response.
Attorney volunteers, who must be authorized to provide pro bono assistance in their state, log in to the website, select questions to answer, and provide legal information and advice. Volunteer attorneys will not answer criminal law questions.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: You can register as a volunteer and watch a brief video training before getting started.
Estimated time commitment: Completely up to the volunteer.
Nature of opportunity: Restorative justice. Longer term commitment.
General Information:
The Community Justice Centers believe in the importance and efficacy of restorative responses to conflict and crime as an alternative to traditional criminal prosecution, punishment, and retribution.
The mission is to broaden and strengthen Vermont’s restorative practices through leadership, advocacy, education, and partnerships.
Volunteers include victim liaisons, restorative justice panel members, and Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) members.
Malpractice Insurance: Unclear.
Training and/or mentoring: Volunteers undergo initial training for their particular role and then have subsequent professional development trainings.
Estimated time commitment: Long time commitment. Some volunteer roles have a minimum length of one year.
Nature of opportunity: Pre-Screened Cases, Clinic-Based Opportunities, and Direct Referrals. These include family law, rent escrow, asylum, bankruptcy and more. There are several “lawyer for the day” clinics where volunteers can help clients under Vermont’s limited appearance rules and only commit for a few hours of work.
General Information:
Legal Services Vermont’s Pro Bono Program is a comprehensive, statewide project to connect our volunteer lawyers with Vermonters in need.
Wide range of civil issues.
Interested advocates can sign up to work on clinics, be part of our pro bono panel, or take cases in a specific area of law. More information to orient pro bono volunteers is here.
Malpractice Insurance: Provided.
Training and/or mentoring: Volunteers are eligible to receive low-cost or free CLE training. Topics for events include, but are not limited to: foreclosure, eviction defense, public benefits, senior citizen issues and mentoring for new attorneys.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent upon the opportunity.
Opportunities for staff: Yes, the volunteer form includes paralegals and non-legal advocates.
Nature of opportunity: The environmental division offers a free legal clinic in collaboration with the Vermont Bar Association Pro Bono/Low Bono Program.
General Information:
A free legal clinic on environmental and land use issues.
The lawyers who staff the clinic have knowledge and experience in environmental law and land use issues.
Statewide non-profit 501c3 membership organization which was founded in 1986. Members are 15 independent, non-profit organizations which provide domestic and sexual violence advocacy to survivors of violence in Vermont.
The Network does policy and advocacy work in areas such as justice reform & transforming responses to marginalized survivors; economic justice & prevention; creating safer communities; & support for critical services.
Malpractice insurance: Likely unnecessary.
Training and/or mentoring: Unclear.
Estimated time commitment: Dependent on the volunteer.
Opportunities for staff: Yes.
** The information contained within is for informational purposes only. The organizations listed have not been vetted or endorsed by Pro Bono Institute or its Corporate Pro Bono Project.
VLP strives to give equal access to representation for the people of Greater Boston who are from lower-income households and need legal aid assistance in civil legal aid matters.
Project Citizenship’s mission is to educate immigrants about the benefits of citizenship, and to help eligible, legal permanent residents to overcome barriers to naturalization.
