A pro bono lawyer or a volunteer lawyer is a lawyer that agrees to take a portion or all of your legal case free, no charges from you or any other person/source. However, in some cases, they can charge you a bit depending on the case, which makes them conveniently affordable.
Pro bono lawyers often handle a range of civil and criminal cases like divorce, housing, child custody, domestic violence, unemployment cases and immigration among others. You can always do your own research depending on your legal issue to see if it can be covered pro bono.
Consequently, finding the right pro bono lawyer can be hard, especially if you have no idea where to start. Here is how you can find a pro bono lawyer.
Non-profit Organizations
You can check out different non-profit organizations that usually deal with legal stuff. This way you can get some affordable or free legal representation.
Some of these organizations can put you in touch with local legal aid programs and lawyers who are willing to donate their time and resources in providing free legal assistance.
Moreover, if you do not qualify for free legal services, you can rely on them to help you find a private lawyer who can assist you at a discounted fee.
Local Law Schools
You can check out the local law schools within your area, as most often require their students to offer pro bono services, in order to graduate.
The law schools usually open legal clinics that are open to the whole community. The clinics are customarily, staffed by law students and supervised by the law professors.
Consequently, you can visit the law schools near you, or make a call to see if they offer pro bono services. You can also use a law school directory to see the participating law schools. The choice is yours.
In relation, you can also inquire in local churches and courts, as some are known to run free legal clinics that offer pro bono services.
National and State Bar Associations
Lawyers usually have a professional responsibility to provide free legal services for those who cannot afford it. Some national and state bar associations might require a lawyer to dedicate some hours or pro bono services every year. So feel free to start with them.
You can also check the national and state bar association directory online, for some pro bono lawyers.
Look for Local Attorneys
You can talk to your local attorneys or run an internet search on some local lawyers who are offering pro bono services. Besides, most law firms often provide pro bono work as part of their CSR, corporate social responsibility. You can find all the information you need online from their practice area to contact information.
Search on Your Own
When looking for a pro bono lawyer, you should start with family and friends as well as mutual friends and ask them if they know someone who knows someone.
Likewise, if you are one to receive public benefits you can ask your social worker for some recommendations on some of the best attorneys who are offer pro bono services.
Moreover, you can do an online search on them, starting with top law firms. They are bound to have some lawyers who want to volunteer their skills and expertise to help someone in legal need, free.
Conclusion
Conclusively, finding a pro bono lawyer is not that hard if you have the right information. However, you should not rely so much on it always have some cash with you in case you are directed to a discounted lawyer.
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