How to Volunteer

Advocacy & Justice Clinic (Law Firm and Federal Government Attorneys)

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center invites volunteer attorneys from law firms and the federal government to represent a full representation client through the Advocacy & Justice Clinic. Available litigation matters include family law, eviction defense, housing conditions, eviction record sealing, consumer law, and social security denial matters. We provide volunteer attorneys with the support they need for successful representation – recorded trainings, practice materials, expert mentors, and malpractice insurance. To begin, please contact your employer’s Pro Bono Coordinator.

Advocacy & Justice Clinic (Individual Attorneys Project, not volunteering through an employer)

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center invites individual attorneys to represent a full representation client through the Advocacy & Justice Clinic’s Individual Attorneys Project. Available litigation matters include family law, eviction defense, housing conditions, eviction record sealing, consumer law, and social security denial matters. We provide volunteer attorneys with the support they need for successful representation – recorded trainings, practice materials, expert mentors, and malpractice insurance. Before applying, please watch our Individual Attorneys Project video and review our Memorandum of Understanding. If you can represent a pro bono client through the completion of their litigation matter, please complete our volunteer questionnaire. A member of our team will contact you to schedule a meeting after we receive your application.

Bankruptcy Clinic

Our Bankruptcy Clinic provides full representation counseling and legal assistance to potential Chapter 7 debtors. Volunteer attorneys represent individuals filing personal bankruptcy by providing advice, preparing petitions and related schedules, attending meetings of creditors,   and otherwise handling all aspects of the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process. Volunteers who are not experienced bankruptcy attorneys must attend one of our twice-yearly training sessions. All volunteers must be members in good standing of the D.C. Bar or the bar of another U.S. jurisdiction. If interested, please contact us at [email protected].

Advice & Referral Clinic

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center welcomes new volunteers to the monthly in-person, brief services Advice & Referral Clinic. Through this clinic, clients are paired with volunteer attorneys for consultations the same day. Volunteer attorneys provide free advice and brief legal services to individuals regarding most civil matters governed by D.C. or federal law. These areas of practice include housing, family, employment, consumer, tax, probate and personal injury.

To be eligible, an attorney must be licensed and in good standing in any U.S. jurisdiction. Volunteers are not expected to be familiar with every area of law we see at the clinic. In fact, we anticipate that most volunteers will have very little, if any, experience in the types of matters on which they will advise. Therefore, a thorough orientation and training is conducted the morning of each clinic. In addition, Pro Bono Center staff and expert mentors are available on-site to assist volunteer attorneys throughout the day. Send an email to [email protected] for more information, or to register for an upcoming clinic please click here.

Immigration Legal Advice & Referral Clinic

Volunteers may assist individuals through our quarterly Immigration Legal Advice & Referral Clinic. Typically held in March, June, September, and December, this clinic provides legal information, brief advice, and referrals to individuals with civil legal problems concerning U.S. immigration law. We welcome active barred attorney volunteers to complete client intakes and provide brief legal advice, information, and referrals. Expert immigration attorneys are on-site at every clinic to supervise and mentor volunteers. Please click here to apply.

Our Nonprofit & Small Business Legal Assistance Programs (NPSB) provides brief advice legal services, information, full representation, and training to community-based nonprofit organizations that serve D.C. residents living on low incomes, as well as small businesses that contribute to the economic health and wellbeing of D.C. neighborhoods. We invite attorneys with transactional, business, or corporate law backgrounds to volunteer at our brief advice legal clinics, represent a nonprofit in an ongoing matter, train nonprofits and small businesses in legal basics, or draft educational guides on legal topics of importance to these organizations. We offer both virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities at our NPSB clinics.

Our NPSB volunteers provide assistance with entity formation, tax-exempt status, corporate governance, employment law from the small business perspective, intellectual property, commercial leases, contracts, and risk management. Most volunteers assist in areas of the law they already practice, but NPSB offers a library of trainings to volunteers who lack the relevant experience.

Attorneys interested in volunteering at the virtual version of our monthly Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic can fill out this form. For additional volunteer opportunities with our Nonprofit & Small Business Legal Assistance Program, please contact [email protected].

The Future Planning & Probate Program provides volunteer attorneys with the opportunity to assist low-income D.C. residents in matters related to estate planning and probate. Volunteers help clients draft essential documents such as wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, as well as guide them through the probate process. Whether you're new to this area of law or experienced, we provide comprehensive training and ongoing support. For more details, visit the Future Planning & Probate Program page, complete the volunteer registration form, or contact Murray Scheel at [email protected] with any questions.

The Pro Bono Center has opportunities for law students, paralegals, and other volunteers who are not attorneys.  Our Immigration Legal Advice & Referral Clinic provides legal information, brief advice, and referral services to those with civil legal issues concerning U.S. immigration laws. We welcome non-lawyer volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks ranging from setup and logistics to translation services. These clinics are held quarterly.  Interested volunteers may fill out this form or contact [email protected].

Non-attorneys (law students, paralegals & JDs) play an integral role at the Advice & Referral Clinic. These volunteers primarily conduct client intake but also assist with logistical tasks such as staffing the client waiting room or client sign-in desk. Law students should register through their law school’s pro bono coordinator and all others should send an email to [email protected].

Our Nonprofit & Small Business Legal Assistance Programs welcome law students and paralegals to serve as intake volunteers at our in-person Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic, held every other month. This clinic provides brief advice and legal information to local small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs on corporate and transactional legal issues. Intake volunteers administer short screening interviews with clinic attendees so each business may be paired with an attorney who has the appropriate expertise to assist. No prior training or experience is required. Intake shifts last two and a half hours, and most clinics are held 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weeknights or 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday mornings. To join the email list for intake volunteer opportunities, email [email protected].

Pro bono service often starts with training. The Pro Bono Center offers training in the areas of law in which D.C. residents living on low incomes most need help. View our current training schedule here. Questions? Please email our training team at [email protected].