Volunteer Suggestions
We have assembled recommendations that may help you choose the pro bono path that's right for you. Please click on the link below that best describes your volunteer interests.
- Law firm looking for a pro bono avenue?
- New attorney looking for experience?
- Transactional attorney?
- A graduate who has not yet passed the Bar?
- A college student, law student, paralegal or other professional?
1. Law firm looking for a pro bono avenue?
VLSP offers attorneys and law firms a spectrum of volunteer opportunities, from business law and civil litigation, to family law and public benefits work. VLSP also offers projects with varying levels of time commitment, from full scope matters to brief consultations in legal clinics.
We recognize that your firm has specific needs and goals for your pro bono work, and we work with you to design a successful program, including:
- Free continuing legal education (CLE training)
- Training and experience (including courtroom experience) for newer associates
- Malpractice insurance (primary to your firm’s insurance)
- Ongoing mentoring
For more information or to request a presentation, please contact Andrea Fitanides at (415) 782-9000 x8714 or afitanides@sfbar.org.
2. New attorney looking for experience?
If you are a new attorney and are looking for experience, we suggest the Family Law, Eviction Defense, and/or Consumer Projects.
- Extensive training programs designed for new attorneys
- Courtroom experience and client contact
- The chance to consult with more experienced attorneys as needed
The Family Law Project is an excellent opportunity to help families with children and battered women. The Eviction Defense Project involves procedures which are the same as those in business litigation, but are more condensed. Our Consumer Project provides assistance to clients facing collection defense and bankruptcy issues. Volunteering with these projects is a great way to gain experience and help change lives at the same time.
3. Transactional Attorney?
If you are an experienced transactional attorney we suggest volunteering with our Community Organizations Representation Project (CORP).
CORP assists nonprofits with their various business issues, including employment, corporate governance, contracts and real property.
If you are a newer transactional attorney, please consider taking our nonprofit incorporation training.
You might also want to consider volunteering to help negotiate settlements in our Housing Negotiation Project, or helping clients with uncontested guardianships in our Family Law Project.
4. A graduate who has not yet passed the Bar?
If you graduated from law school and have not yet passed the California Bar, or are admitted to practice in a state other than California, we suggest volunteering with our Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP).
Much of HAP's work is administrative public benefits advocacy with the Social Security Administration and does not require California Bar admission.
5. College or law student, paralegal, interpreter or other professional
If you are a law student, college student or other professional who is interested in law, please consider volunteering as a legal interviewer with our Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC). We also suggest volunteering with our Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) if you have a flexible schedule and are looking to volunteer a significant amount of time to a specific project.
If you speak a second language, please also consider volunteering with the Legal Advice and Referral Clinic or our Interpreter Project.
We also have student internships available each semester. We recruit for interns every August / September, January and April / May. We post internship announcements at Bay Area colleges and law schools during these times. Please do not send us unsolicited resumes.
More Information
For more information about these projects, please email vlsp@sfbar.org.
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