Lawyers are needed to support pro bono services during the current COVID-19 crisis.
More than 6,000 legal aid matters flow through the PBA Pro Bono Office on an annual basis and the program is always looking for pro bono attorneys to volunteer to help the neediest among us.
Volunteer Lawyers Needed
Clean Slate Review Project
The Clean Slate Review Project is a pro bono partnership of Community Legal Services and the PBA Pro Bono Office. The Clean Slate Review Project provides information and advice to people seeking to seal past criminal records under the Clean Slate law. Attorney volunteers review the Pennsylvania criminal record of applicants under the program and advise them whether their record qualifies for sealing under the law and what steps need to be taken to start the sealing process. Volunteer With The Clean Slate Screening Project.
PBA Lawyers Saluting Veterans Program
Each year, the PBA Pro Bono Office answers calls for help from thousands of impoverished Pennsylvanians and from veterans in need. Under this program, volunteer attorneys handle cases in their areas of practice or expertise for Pennsylvania's military veterans, free of charge. The office relies on hundreds of volunteers to offer support to the neediest among us. Volunteer for Lawyers Saluting Veterans program
PA Bar Association Pro Bono Sign-Up
Each year, the PBA Pro Bono Office answers calls for help from thousands of impoverished Pennsylvanians and from veterans in need. Under this program, volunteer attorneys are asked to screen calls made to the PBA Pro Bono Hotline and use the resources at PAlawhelp.org and PAprobono.net to provide advice and direction to those callers. Lawyers are also asked, when possible, to provide direct legal aid services.
Lawyers who haven’t previously provided pro bono services through the PBA Pro Bono Office should complete this form.
Lawyers are also welcome to volunteer their services directly to the PBA Pro Bono Office by contacting David Trevaskis at [email protected] or 717-571-7414.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Remote Opportunity for Family Law Attorneys
The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) Project needs pro bono volunteer attorneys with family law experience for limited representation opportunities. SeniorLAW Center operates the PA SeniorLAW HelpLine, which receives calls from around the state on a variety of matters and seeks volunteers to assist with callers from outside of Philadelphia County. These calls would be pre-screened via SeniorLAW Center's intake process before they are sent to a pro bono attorney for services.
The pre-screening process will identify the caller's name, contact information, and a brief background on their legal question. This information would be provided to the volunteer attorney to call the client and schedule a time to speak. Once the attorney calls the client, they would be tasked with either offering advice and counseling or brief services. An example of a brief service could be instructing a litigant how to proceed pro se.
To participate, volunteers must complete a 90-minute video training.
To learn more, please contact:
Janine Dunlap Kiah, Project Director
Pursuing Justice for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Pennsylvania
215.716.5071 | [email protected] | www.seniorlawcenter.org
Resources for Lawyers providing pro bono assistance
The Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Office works with the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network to offer resources for attorneys providing pro bono assistance about civil legal issues and www.PAProbono.net.
As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, the CARES Act directs the IRS to issue Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) to eligible individuals, married couples, and families with children. The American Bar Association Tax Section offers information to help promote the availability of these payments, especially for those who assist lower-income clients, non-filers, and other vulnerable populations, and to warn against scams.