Malden District Court handles eviction and residential tenancy related matters for Malden, Everett, Wakefield and Medford.  [www.state.ma.us/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/maldendistrictmain.html]

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Program overview

The Lawyer for the Day offers advice and information, not representation, to low-income pro se Tenants and Landlords. This may involve, for example, explaining court procedure, referring applicants to appropriate resources or offering an opinion on the pros and cons of a case. As a Malden Judge recently said, “The Lawyer for the Day can explain what I can and what I cannot do.”  A manual is provided with various resources. The program stocks numerous generic pro se motions, answers and other court forms. 

The program is located in the library on the third floor of Malden District Court.  The service is offered on Summary Process Day, which is Thursday, from 9:00 to 11:00 am (or earlier if there are no more applicants)

Since its inception in the spring of 2003, the service has assisted scores of tenants and landlords. Significantly, the Lawyer for the Day program has assisted clients to negotiate settlements in most cases. Our feedback from the Court is that the program is working well. 

Please consider participating in the program by volunteering two hours on Thursday mornings when your schedule permits. If you are unsure about your expertise or whether you would like this kind of commitment, consider signing up for one or two Thursdays with a mentor.

Advantages

The Lawyer for the Day service is a great way to fulfill your pro bono requirement because the commitment is discrete: you provide services only for the two hours you are the Lawyer for the Day. You have no obligation to the client after you meet with them. If they are eligible, Tri-CAP may offer further assistance.

You will increase your visibility as a community supportive lawyer.

The service works in tandem with an on-site free mediation service. You will facilitate an even sided mediation.

The service works. In addition to the high number of agreements our Lawyer for the Day Attorneys help clients to negotiate, we have steered clients toward successful outcomes and have been able to refer clients to further legal assistance with Tri-CAP staff attorneys or private bar attorneys.

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Thank you for your anticipated commitment. We look forward to seeing you as a Lawyer for the Day.