The Pro Bono Legal Project is looking for lawyers to join our panel of pro bono attorneys. We need help with
Cases
Mentoring (lawyers, law students and/or paralegal interns)
Housing Lawyer for the Day at Malden District Court
Advisory Committee
Public Education
We are an excellent way for you to fulfill your pro bono commitment without getting sucked into unmeritorious, time draining cases. We vet all our cases for real issues and real need. All our clients are low-income. Our experienced paralegal prepares a comprehensive intake on each client and obtains necessary documents for every case. Our programs are designed for ease of use and provide manuals and training. Our insurance plan covers your work for us. As well, we offer our volunteer attorneys the use of our law library, our conference room to meet with clients, office space to work on files if necessary and a messaging service. All services are supported by our staff attorneys or volunteer mentors.
We are constantly trying to broaden our outreach to the community. Working with us will demonstrate to your commitment to our community. We let the public know who is volunteering with us by advertising. Professionally, our volunteers are connected through mailings to the Court and other lawyers.
CASES
A staff lawyer will speak with you directly about each case and be able to explain the nature of the case, the issues and answer any questions. This way you can be sure you know the most about the pro bono commitment before you say yes. Usually several files are discussed in order to find the right fit for the lawyer and the client.
We need attorneys willing to help low income individuals and families with:
Divorce – all our cases are from scratch. We do not ask you to take a case that has already been filed or where their have been messy prior orders. Usually, there are few if any significant property issues.
Bankruptcy – We pre-screen all clients to ensure that they have stopped using credit cards, have the filing fee and have obtained credit reports. An intake sheet is completed that will alert us and you to major issues that might make the case inappropriate for pro bono representation.
Eviction – We see a broad range of eviction related matters, from Housing Authority evictions to landlords who can not pay their mortgages due to non-paying tenants. We work closely with a mediation service to find solutions for Landlords and Tenants.
Wills – We see a number of people who need wills or Health Care Proxies. Often they are elderly or disabled with little property.
SSI – We need help with people who either are denied benefits or who have been terminated from benefits. We assist only on a merit basis. We especially need help from attorneys willing to assess the merit of cases.
General Civil Issues – These issues have to be serious enough to impact a person’s economic or physical security. Often we assist in a limited capacity such as helping to write a 93A letter, providing brief advice or other advocacy services.