VLS Evening Clinics

Helping Central Texans with Basic Legal Needs

Would you like to give back to the community with some pro bono work that packs a punch by helping those with just a couple hours of commitment? Legal Aid and Volunteer Legal Services hold evening clinics where low-income Central Texans with a wide variety of legal problems receive free legal advice.  These legal problems include general civil law and family law. The Clinics begin at 6:00 p.m. and generally end between 8:00 and 8:30.

Volunteer lawyers provide basic legal advice and intake services so that a Legal Aid lawyer or other volunteer lawyer can be assigned to take the case on a pro bono basis--no specialized legal knowledge is required. Although the volunteer lawyers are a huge help, they are not required to take cases, and the commitment ends after the clinic--until you decide you'd like to return on another Monday or Wednesday night! And if you decide that you are interested in taking a case to work on after the clinic, you can always take the case and you'll likely find that one of the attorneys working the clinic (or one of their colleagues) would be willing to team with you, if outside counsel resources such as research, legal forms, or staff assistance would help you handle the case.

We encourage you to attend one of these Clinics--you'll feel like a "real" lawyer! No RSVPs are required, but if you plan to attend it would help if you email Scott Kearns at pro-bono@acc-austin.com so he can give VLS an idea of how many attorneys will attend, for planning purposes. Also, Marc can send you a binder with information on common legal issues, compiled through the cooperation of Legal Aid and V&E.

FALL 2010 CLINIC OPPORTUNITIES:

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM (with Vinson & Elkins)
Webb Middle School
601 E. St. Johns, Austin, Texas 78752

• September 22, 2010
• October 27, 2010
• December 1, 2010
  

For more information about VLS Clinics, you can click here.

SPECIAL NEEDS CLINICS

Advocacy Inc. and Volunteer Legal Services hosts clinics where parents of children with special needs receive 1:1 education and advice on how to make sure their children's rights are protected in the public schools. Fulbright & Jaworski has a special education expert and other attorneys who are willing to team up with us. Advocacy will provide basic CLE on the rules & law, and volunteer lawyers will just need to give advice on the clinic. If a parent needs continuing representation, it will be optional and an F&J attorney would likely assist anyone willing to take a case.

UPCOMING WINTER/SPRING SPECIAL NEEDS CLINICS:

None are scheduled as of February 8m 2010. Normally, these clinics are held on  Thursdays at 6:00 PM (with Fulbright & Jaworski)at Advocacy Inc.,  7800 Shoal Creek Blvd. #171-E, Austin, Texas.  Please check back periodically for the dates.

For more information, go to www.advocacyinc.org or e-mail Scott Kearns at  pro-bono@acc-austin.com

COMMUNITY BUILDING WITH ATTORNEY RESOURCES (C-BAR)

Texas C-BAR provides free legal assistance to Texas nonprofits working to improve the quality of life in low-income neighborhoods. We recruit experienced transactional attorneys, who volunteer to help these organizations with their real estate, tax, corporate, and employment law needs.

Attorneys accepting referrals from Texas C-BAR represent community-based nonprofits in their work to transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy communities. The nonprofits we assist are engaged in a broad range of activities to better the lives of low-income persons, including building houses for low-income families, repairing houses for the elderly and disabled, creating after-school programs for at-risk children, and developing job training initiatives for women moving off of welfare.

Pro bono opportunities include providing advice on:

• Incorporation
• Corporate governance
• Nonprofit tax
• Employment law
• Intellectual property law
• Real estate law
• Contract negotiation and review
  

CHILD PROTECTION

CASA of Travis County, Inc. recruits, screens, trains, and supervises volunteers to provide “guardian ad litem” representation for abused and neglected children to help them reach a safe and permanent home. This is a great opportunity for lawyers, paralegals and others to represent those without a voice in our legal system.

CASA volunteers are concerned community members who complete 30 hours of intensive training and donate an average of 20 hours a month to the service of one child or sibling group for a minimum of one year.

CASA volunteers monitor each child’s educational, therapeutic, placement, legal, and medical progress and work one-on-one with each child to gain trust, offer insight, and speak up for the child’s best interest. Court appointed by a judge, a volunteer advocate provides verbal and written reports to the judge including final placement recommendations. The opinions of the CASA volunteers and staff members are often incorporated into the children's service plans. CASA staff provides guidance and supervision for the volunteers as they serve child victims.

CASA’s intense personalized advocacy often uncovers critical information about a child’s situation and brings it to light in court. The foster care system is overwhelmed by the number of children in its care, forcing social workers to carry large caseloads and provide limited opportunities for the one-on-one attention that every child in the system deserves. CASA volunteers are able to meet with the children frequently and are able to share information with DFPS for a greater level of care. The regular contact with the child allows the CASA volunteer to build a relationship, make sure all the child’s needs are met, and assure the child is in a safe, permanent home. For more information about working with CASA, please contact Bridget Brannon at CASA.Bridget@gmail.com. 

PRO BONO FAMILY LAW

No greater legal need exists in Central Texas than for lawyers to represent those attempting to stabilize and protect their families. And, there is possibly no greater sense of professional satisfaction for a lawyer than when making a difference in the life of a family in crisis.

Organized family law related pro-bono organizations that you can contact about volunteering include:

• Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS):Provides legal representation to low-income families. VLS additionally provides training and support (including mentoring), and malpractice insurance to lawyers. (512) 476-5550

• Family Eldercare: Assists elderly and disabled individuals in obtaining Guardianships and short-term money management assistance. (512) 450-0844

• Catholic Charities Immigration Counseling Services of Central Texas: Provides family unification, Violence Against Women Act (VOWA),and relative immigrant visa services. (512) 949-0148

• Women's Advocacy Project: Provides general assistance through a hotline and legal consultations. (512) 476-5377

• Capital Area AIDS Legal Project: Provides general civil legal assistance to low-income individuals with AIDS and HIV. (512) 406-6173

Family law related volunteer opportunities are available through these organizations, as well as many other legal service agencies in the greater Austin area.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS

Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA) provides free legal and accounting services to artsnonprofits and artists from all creative disciplines, including visual artists, musicians, actors, dancers, film makers and writers. Over 600 attorneys and accountants donate their time to artists and nonprofit organizations who are unable to afford professional services. Without TALA, their problems would remain unresolved and their interests unrepresented.

Our services include lawyer and accountant pro bono assistance, dispute resolution services, educational programs for the artistic and business community, publications, and a resource library. Programs are designed to help artists apply legal and accounting concepts for their benefit.

Pro bono opportunities include providing advice on:

• Non-Profit Organization Incorporation & Tax-Exempt Status
• Contract Drafting, Negotiation and Review
• Estate Planning for Artists
• Copyright and Trademark
• Arts-Related Landlord/Tenant Issues
• Demand Letters
• Dispute Resolution / Arts Mediation

For more information, go to www.talarts.org or e-mail Tanya Avila at Tanya.Avila@amd.com.