Appellate Pro Bono Project*
Oregon State Bar
The program creates a pool of volunteer attorneys willing to represent pro se litigants in appellate cases. The Oregon Supreme Court and Court of Appeals select cases in which the court would benefit from attorney representation. Any active member of the bar is eligible to participate. In addition to assisting the courts in appropriate cases, the program is intended to provide members of the bar with appellate experience. To find a link to program materials and sign up for e-mail announcements about available cases,
go to this form. For questions, email
orappprobono@gmail.com.
Changing Lives Forever
The "CLiF Project" is a collaboration between Tonkon Torp LLP and Youth, Rights & Justice, a nonprofit law firm specializing in juvenile law. CliF lawyers provide pro bono representation to help deserving young people get off the registry so that they can live independent and productive lives. Volunteers receive training and consultation, and a library of forms and information is available. CLiF lawyers meet once a month (first Thursdays) at lunchtime to hear from experts in the field, share information, and help each other.
Contact: Gwen Griffith,
gwen.griffith@tonkon.com.
Commons Law Center*
Pro bono lawyers spend a few hours a month mentoring and advising our attorneys about specific matters, client management, and community education programming. Lawyers with experience in family law, landlord/tenant law, estate planning, and probate are those most in need. The Commons works to deliver legal services at scale for low-income Oregonians, including through community education, webinars, workshops, clinics, navigation guides, blogs, and more. Volunteers also work on special projects with our board, such as new lawyer training rubric development.
Contact: Kamron Graham 503.850.0811 x114,
kamron@thecommonslawcenter.org,
www.thecommonslawcenter.org.
Expungement Clinics*
Legal Aid Services of Oregon - Volunteer Lawyers Project
Over 1.4 million people in Oregon have a criminal record. 695,000 people, or 17% of the population, have criminal convictions. 60% of the state's black population have criminal convictions. Although 42% are eligible for expungement or clearing their record, it would take 77 years to clear the backlog at the current rate. Volunteer attorneys help reduce barriers to safe housing, employment and education caused by criminal records by assessing whether clients qualify for expungement and completing all necessary court paperwork for those eligible. We offer two clinics - our virtual clinic in partnership with Intel Corp. and our in-person (when safe to do so) clinic in partnership with the Clackamas County Bar Association and the Clackamas County Law Library. Training and materials are available.
Contact: Shelby Smith,
shelby.smith@lasoregon.org.
Free Federal Law Clinic
Federal Bar Association
Volunteer lawyer program designed to assist pro se litigants with civil matters filed in federal court and to increase the participation of attorneys in federal pro bono service. The clinic offers free, 30-minute consultations with a lawyer, after which the litigants continue to represent themselves. All volunteers must be licensed Oregon attorneys with PLF coverage. This program is an ideal way for lawyers who wish to volunteer in their community without a long-term commitment. Volunteer attorneys frequently answer procedural questions, and gain exposure to substantive areas like civil rights and constitutional law, employment law, and administrative law (including social security cases).
The clinic handles all of the communication with the litigant prior to the appointment, can help with conflict checking if needed, and provide a letter agreement outlining the scope of the limited engagement. It has never been easier to volunteer, as one of the changes instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic was to move all consults with the litigants to phone. You may also apply for CLE credit for volunteering.
Contact: Admin@fedlawclinic.org or
sign up to participate online.
Housing Notice Clinic*
Legal Aid Services of Oregon
Oregon is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. In eviction cases, the vast majority of landlords are represented by an attorney or agent while very few tenants have any representation. While Legal Aid represents thousands of tenants a year, demand for assistance exceeds our limited resources. Your help is needed to preserve stable housing for members of our community. Through the clinic, pro bono attorneys provide critical legal assistance to low-income tenants. Attorneys review rental termination notices, advise tenants on the validity of the notice, draft demand letters and negotiate settlements when defenses are present. Training materials are available. This is a virtual clinic.
Contact: Jill Mallery, jill.mallery@lasoregon.org.
Military Assistance Panel*
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar administers a referral panel that lists lawyers willing to help military personnel and their families. Volunteer lawyers are trained to provide legal assistance relating to the SCRA and a range of other legal issues. Due to the nature of military deployments, family law is generally the most common type of legal service sought by servicemembers from our volunteers, but assistance is also provided in matters of consumer and debtor/creditor law, real property (including foreclosure and landlord/tenant) law, and estate planning. Lawyer volunteers should expect to offer one or two hours of pro bono advice and counseling to MAP clients. Additional pro bono representation is encouraged but not required. OSB provides free video training sessions and written materials covering specific legal issues addressed by SSCRA and applicable provisions of related areas of law.
Contact: ris@osbar.org, 503.620.0222 x408.
National Crime Victim Law Institute
NCVLI, a nonprofit legal organization affiliated with Lewis & Clark Law School, works to promote the thoughtful development and advancement of victim law on a national level. NCVLI does not provide direct representation of crime victims, but does help train and support a national network of skilled attorneys to represent crime victims in the criminal justice system through the National Alliance of Victims' Rights Attorneys (NAVRA). Pro bono opportunities are not limited to direct representation of crime victims in the criminal justice system. Your help is also needed to serve as local counsel, conduct legal research, and represent crime victims in related civil proceedings. Most importantly, you don't need experience with victim law to help, NAVRA and NCVLI staff will train you to represent crime victims.
Contact: 503.768.6819,
ncvli@lclark.edu.
Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts*
Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is a non-profit organization that supports the Oregon creative community by providing a monthly pro bono legal clinic, workshops, and other resources to low income creatives and small arts organizations. OVLA is searching for volunteers whose skills and interests coincide with this mission, whether as an attorney interested in volunteering for the clinic or presenting at workshops, or someone with great administrative skills, a social media expert, or a dynamic fundraising assistant. Fill out the
Volunteer Application to sign up.
Contact: Jedidiah Chavez, 503.768.6946,
jed@oregonvla.org.
ProBonoOregon Listserv*
Legal service offices around the state post cases to this listserv every Thursday. Each program posts only one email per week. Postings are sent to individual attorneys or pro bono coordinators for internal distribution within firms. An attorney who is interested in accepting a pro bono opportunity contacts the listing office for full case information. Listings include the type of case and a brief description of the issue and do not include highly identifying facts or party names. Conflict information is discussed with interested attorneys when they contact the listing office. This project allows pro bono attorneys to take a pro bono case when it fits best with their schedule. To sign up directly for the listserv, send an email to:
probonooregon-subscribe@mail.lawhelp.org.
Portland State University Student Legal Services*
SLS provides legal consultations and representation to PSU students in a variety of legal areas, including landlord-tenant, family law, immigration, restraining orders, consumer law, expungements, employment law, criminal defense, personal injury, victim rights, traffic citations, Small Claim matters, and more. Our office also provides presentations to PSU students throughout the year on substantive areas of law. Pro bono attorneys will also be given an opportunity to present to students if interested. Pro bono participants will join a listserv where we will send out requests for pro bono representation and notice of opportunities to make presentations. Backup assistance is provided by SLS attorneys. Contact April Aster for further information about SLS or to join the listserve. PLF Coverage offered only through the OSB certification program. Time commitment varies.
Contact: April Aster, 503.725.4556,
aaster@pdx.edu.
Re-Entry Court
District Court of Oregon
Assist participants on federal probation with recovery from addiction, employment and issues related to successful re-entry into society. Volunteer attorneys help program participants resolve non-criminal legal issues such as back taxes, garnishment, past due child support and custody matters.
Contact: Michelle Sweet, 503.326.2123,
michelle_sweet@fd.org.
Unemployment Insurance Benefits Panel*
Legal Aid Services of Oregon - Volunteer Lawyers Project
As unemployment claims continue to hit unprecedented levels, LASO is working to expand its pro bono attorney panel for low-income Oregonians with controversies involving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Unemployment insurance is the sole means of temporary wage replacement for workers and it is critical in preventing individuals and families from spiraling into poverty. This project connects UI claimants with volunteer attorneys to provide legal advice and possible representation at administrative hearings before the Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings. Training materials are available. This is a virtual volunteer opportunity.
Contact: Brett Cattani,
brett.cattani@lasoregon.org.
US District Court Pro Bono Program*
Appoints attorneys to represent pro se parties in civil cases who, in the Court's opinion, require and are qualified to receive them. Such parties (who are often incarcerated) typically lack the financial means or legal experience to adequately deal with the issues and proceedings in US District Court. The representation may be for all purposes or for a specific purpose. A Guide for Representing Prisoners will be provided in all appointments made to represent prisoners. A mentorship program is available to assist appointed attorneys in areas of practice that may be unfamiliar, and PLF coverage may be available for cases assigned through the program. Tutorials for electronic filing and program procedures are available on the court's website. For further details or to volunteer visit
www.ord.uscourts.gov.
Contact: Nicole Munoz, 503.326.8014,
nicole_munoz@ord.uscourts.gov, Christy Weller, 541.431.4106,
christy_weller@ord.uscourts.gov, and Elizabeth Potter, 503.326.8061,
elizabeth_potter@ord.uscourts.gov.
The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
TVC is a leading national 501(c)(3) charity providing free legal services in federal venues for veterans in need. TVC operates a global federal Veterans Pro Bono Program on behalf of the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to represent veterans unjustly denied benefits or compensation earned from military service. Our TVC National Volunteer Corps of attorneys also litigate cases that are appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the US Supreme Court.
Our TVC Discharge Upgrade Program, sponsored by DAV Charitable Service Trust, reviews discharge cases, and primarily represents veterans who received an Other Than Honorable discharge due to misconduct related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military Sexual Trauma, traumatic brain injury and other related mental health issues.
In addition, TVC has two ongoing Equal Justice Works Fellowship projects: The Women Veterans Legal Assistance Program (WVLAP) and the Veterans Naturalization Program (VNAP). TVC also manages two pro bono legal clinics for veterans at the DC VA Medical Center; one clinic is available exclusively to women veterans and staffed by female attorneys and the other clinic is for all veterans. To learn more about TVC, visit
www.vetsprobono.org.
Contact: Courtney L. Smith, Esq., Director of Outreach & Education, 202.733.3323,
courtney.smith@vetsprobono.org.
Victim Rights Law Center Pro Bono Program
The Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC) provides holistic legal services for sexual assault survivors in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties. We also provide some specific legal services statewide for survivors who are students, immigrants, and/or identify as LGBTQ. We use state and federal civil laws to address a survivor’s most pressing legal needs. As a pro bono attorney with the VRLC, you will work with your client to minimize the impact of the complex legal problems triggered by sexual assault. You might help a sexual assault survivor obtain a protective order; apply for legal status if serving an immigrant survivor; negotiate with a school, employer, and/or housing official to settle claims; or help with other legal matters. VRLC attorneys screen clients and then send requests for representation to prospective pro bono attorneys with basic information about the legal issues presented. An attorney who expresses interest in taking a case will receive conflict check information, mentoring, and other resources. Prospective pro bono attorneys must be in good standing with the bar, attend a VRLC pro bono training, complete a volunteer application and confidentiality agreement, and accept at least one case per year. PLF coverage is available and the VRLC periodically provides CLE-eligible training in substantive law. Learn more about the VRLC Pro Bono Program at the
VRLC website.
Contact: 503.274.5477 x9,
vrlc@victimrights.org.
Volunteer Defense Counsel for Bar Disciplinary Proceedings
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is looking for members who are willing to volunteer their time to assist lawyers who are being investigated or prosecuted for disciplinary violations. Volunteers will provide (pro bono) representation for accused lawyers in disciplinary matters, as their time and availability permit. Volunteer defense counsel are not screened but are expected to be familiar with the disciplinary rules and the disciplinary process. It is the responsibility of the Volunteer Defense Counsel panel member to ensure they are in compliance with rule 2.1 of the OSB Rules of Procedure. The bar does not require the volunteer defense counsel to provide any particular level of services. It is anticipated that most of the volunteer services will be of a consultative nature in the early stages of an investigation or prosecution. Volunteer defense counsel and their clients will determine by agreement the scope, nature, and charges for defense services to be provided.
Contact: Danielle Edwards, 503.620.0222 x426,
dedwards@osbar.org.
WaterWatch of Oregon
Advocate to protect and restore streamflows in Oregon's rivers. Projects range from research and writing to representation of WaterWatch before the courts and administrative agencies to legislation. Knowledge of water law and administrative law preferred. Volunteers will be mentored and supervised by experienced attorneys. Some cases may require PLF coverage.
Contact: Brian Posewitz, 503.295.4039 ext 2,
brian@waterwatch.org.