Additional Pro Bono Opportunities & Resources
LAWO also offers opportunities for pro bono attorneys to participate in its LiveChat and Telephone Advice projects and its blast email project. The LiveChat and Telephone advice projects provide ideal opportunities for attorneys to provide time limited assistance to pre-screened clients. The blast email project is a great way for a county bar association to alert its members of pro bono opportunities.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation Volunteer Attorneys at our Legal Aid Line Phone Clinic
LiveChat Project
LAWO’s LiveChat project offers volunteer attorneys the opportunity to help low-income persons in your community or any of our 32 counties right from your home or office computer, smart phone, or tablet. Using web-based technology, you can provide advice to eligible low-income persons with relatively uncomplicated legal needs.
You decide what substantive area(s) you want to handle. With or without predefined content. LAWO intake staff will then match you with a low-income person who needs your help based on your designated availability. LAWO will support you throughout the process.
Existing Predefined Content includes: Housing Conditions, Eviction, Return of Security Deposit, Debt Collection, Wage Garnishment, Car Repossession, & Paternity.
To request LiveChat training, contact Melissa LaRocco and Chanda Brown.
Legal Aid Line Pro Bono Phone Clinics
Pro bono attorneys from Marathon Petroleum’s legal department and several affinity groups provide brief counsel and advice via pre-scheduled phone appointments with clients from across LAWO’s 32 county service area through LAWO’s Legal Aid Line. Groups of 5 to 15 attorneys and paralegals can provide legal advice followed by referrals and written instructions to as many as 40 clients in an afternoon. Volunteers receive free Continuing Legal Education in areas of poverty law in preparation for the clinics, such as housing, consumer debt collection, landlord-tenant, and domestic relations. Attorney teams have commented that they enjoy the team-building aspect of training and working together, making this clinic ideal for an in-house counsel or outside law firm project. Pro bono attorneys can provide counsel and advice from remote locations.
Bar Association Email Blasts
The interested county bar association’s members receive descriptions of available cases and updates to its volunteers by mass email. This system increases efficiencies and allows LAWO’s pro bono program to increase full representation case placement.
Corporate Counsel and Emeritus Volunteers
The Ohio Supreme Court has recently made it much easier for Corporate Counsel not licensed to practice law in Ohio and retired attorneys to provide pro bono services. The attached provide more information on each opportunity. Please contact us at probono@lawolaw.org if you are interested in helping us out as a corporate counsel or retired attorney.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
LAWO is always interested in working with individuals willing to volunteer to assist our clients. Please contact us at probono@lawolaw.org to explore volunteer opportunities with LAWO.
Additional Resources for Volunteer Attorneys
Legal Aid offers extensive resources and support to volunteer attorneys who participate in its program. These include the following:
Trainings and Continuing Legal Education Seminars
- Upcoming CLE events will be posted on Legal Aid’s events calendar. If you would like to request a CLE for your law firm or affinity group to increase pro bono involvement, please email probono@lawolaw.org.
- Free video CLE presentations are available to volunteers. Please contact us at probono@lawolaw.org for a list of available trainings and access codes.
Mentoring
If you have questions about an extended representation case, please email probono@lawolaw.org. We are happy to find a Legal Aid Staff Attorney or experienced volunteer to assist you.
Office Resources
If you need space to meet with a Legal Aid client or need access to basic office resources (copying, scanning, faxing, etc.) to complete a Legal Aid case, please email probono@lawolaw.org. You may also contact one of our pro bono paralegals directly about your pro bono case.
Continuing Legal Education credit for Pro Bono services
Volunteer attorneys can earn 1 hour of CLE credit for every 6 hours of Pro Bono service (maximum of 6 hours of CLE credit for 36 hours of service). Hours must be reported to Legal Aid the year the hours are performed. We send out the required paperwork; if you have pro bono hours to report and have not received this paperwork by December 31, please contact Melissa LaRocco.
Volunteers with LAWO have also worked in collaboration with The Ohio Justice Bus to bring legal advice and assistance to rural clients that do not always have amble access to transportation.