BU Law Pro Bono Opportunities

The following opportunities are available to students participating in the pro bono program. Please contact the organization's contact directly to get involved. Be sure to complete the Pro Bono Pledge and notify us if you begin a project listed below. Check back often as new projects are added frequently.

Students may also initiate their own projects with any organization that qualifies under our definition of pro bono work. For help with creating your own please make an appointment online to see a CDO counselor.

Pro Bono Opportunities

Walk to the Hill

Join hundreds of attorneys from all over Massachusetts for this annual lobbying day in January to support funding for civil legal services. Many law students attend this event each year. Please contact probono@bu.edu more information and to register for this important lobbying day.

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Family Law Project – Volunteer Internship for Fall 2009

Started by a small group of WBA members in 1995, the Family Law Project (FLP) continues to be the largest pro bono program at the Women’s Bar Foundation, drawing over 100 new attorneys each year. The FLP recruits, trains, and mentors attorneys and collaborates with legal and social services to provide high quality representation and assistance to victims of domestic violence. In the past 12 months, the FLP has fielded nearly 1,500 phone calls from victims of domestic violence, and has conducted more than 200 interviews and evaluations.   The FLP has two primary missions.  The first is to empower domestic violence victims by giving them a voice in their abuse prevention order and family law cases.  As such, we seek to prevent further abuse, homelessness, loss of child custody, and to decrease repeated court hearings.  The FLP’s second mission is to engage lawyers in pro bono service and, thus, making them stakeholders on issues involving low income domestic violence victims.  The FLP meets both of its missions by referring clients to volunteer attorneys trained and mentored by the FLP on issues related to family law and domestic violence.  For cases that cannot be immediately referred, the FLP staff will provide ongoing legal support including drafting pleadings, preparing a client for court, and informing clients as to their legal rights and recourses.  The FLP is a unique organization because it is designed to meet the legal needs of the underserved in the legal services community who have already been denied representation by a legal services agency and who might otherwise ‘fall through the cracks.’ About half of the individuals served by the FLP are indigent, according to federal poverty guidelines; the remaining individuals we serve are low income and, thus, make too much money for legal services eligibility but earn too little to be able to afford to retain an attorney. In 1995, the FLP won the R.O.S.E. Fund’s Distinguished Service Award. In 2003, the Women’s Bar Foundation received a Supreme Judicial Court Adams Pro Bono Publico Award for distinguished service and outstanding commitment.  In 2004, the FLP received the Public Service Award from the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.

Internship Description (Begins Fall of 2009):

The intern’s activities will include, but not be limited to:

Assisting the Staff Attorney return telephone calls of the approximately 1,500 women per year who contact our FLP in desperate need of legal representation;

Assisting the Staff Attorney conduct detailed, in-person evaluations with clients who are eligible for the FLP.  At this time, the clients bring in all their court documents and have a chance to talk with a lawyer about all their legal issues.

Representing victims of domestic violence seeking 209A Abuse Prevention Orders under the supervision of the Supervising Attorney for the FLP;

Assisting FLP staff to provide brief services to wait list clients.  This includes drafting model pleadings, preparing affidavits, reviewing court files, and preparing the client to speak in court;

Researching and preparing legal memoranda on issues commonly faced by low income victims of domestic violence for the FLP volunteer attorneys;

Assisting the Supervising Attorney with facilitating FLP trainings for volunteer attorneys;

Assisting the Supervising Attorney with recruiting and maintaining volunteer attorneys;

Assisting FLP staff to evaluate clients for the program;

Maintaining professional and accurate documentation of grant related information relating to client demographics; and administrative and other tasks relative to running the FLP.

Interested students please email your cover letter and resume to:
Rachel Biscardi
Supervising Attorney
Women's Bar of Massachusetts
27 School Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02108
617.972.6666, ext. 2215
rbiscardi@womensbar.org

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ACCION International

ACCION International is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission of giving people the financial tools they need to work their way out of poverty. By providing "micro" loans, business training and other financial services to poor men and women who start their own businesses, ACCION helps people work their way up the economic ladder, with dignity and pride. ACCION's goal is to bring microfinance to tens of millions of people. That's why ACCION has created an anti-poverty strategy that is permanent and self-sustaining.

A world pioneer in microfinance, ACCION is now a partner with more than 30 microfinance organizations throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, as well as serving U.S. microentrepreneurs through the ACCION USA Network. ACCION seeks pro bono volunteers with a strong interest in international economic development, banking, microfinance and lending. Preference for law students with some related experience or study. Spanish skills a plus, but not necessary. For more information, visit www.accion.org.

Currently, ACCION is looking for 2 interns who could commit to coming to their office location one day a week for approximately 5-6 hours.  This is a much larger commitment than is required by the Pro Bono Program, but projects are a bit more intensive. Projects involve working with microfinance, international development, or non-profits.

Contact:
Kevin Saunders
Staff Attorney
ACCION International
56 Roland Street, Suite 300
Boston, MA 02129
617-684-0213
ksaunders@accion.org

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Boston University School of Law Young Alumni Council (YAC)

The Boston University School of Law Young Alumni Council (YAC) has a membership of over 700 lawyers in the Greater Boston area with chapters in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and Miami.  These alumni/ae (who graduated from BU Law within the past 10 years), work in large and small firms, federal and state government and nonprofit organizations and engage in a wide range of exciting pro bono work.  The BU Law YAC is proud to partner with the Pro Bono Program to enable current law students to work on pro bono matters side by side with its members.  Members are involved in myriad pro bono matters including intellectual property, housing, family law, tax, domestic violence and immigration. Students will be matched with attorneys seeking assistance throughout the year. Work can be performed in person or remotely.

Please send an email of interest to:
Erin Elwood, Alumni Officer
Esdaile Alumni Center
Boston University School of Law
erine@bu.edu
617.358.4873

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Shelter Legal Services

Law students will interview clients and manage civil legal cases, under the supervision of an attorney, at one of four weekly legal clinics. Clients need help on a variety of issues, including family law, housing, disability, unemployment and immigration. Students must attend training in Fall or Spring. Clinic times and locations: (1) Mondays at 5 pm: Rosie's Place, 889 Harrison Avenue, Roxbury; (2) Tuesdays at 8:30 am: Cambridge Multi-Service Center for the Homeless, 19 Brookline Street, Central Square; (3) Wednesdays at 10:00 am: Chelsea Soldiers' Home, Chelsea; (4) Wednesdays at 6:00 pm: New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, 17 Court Street, Government Center. Contact the organization for the most up to date training session information.

Office locations: Boston College Law School, 885 Centre Street; Suffolk Law School, 120 Tremont Street

For more information contact:
Anna M. Schleelein (BU Law ’08)
Veterans Program Director
Shelter Legal Services
885 Centre Street
schleelein@shelterlegalservices.org
617-935-2989

Please check out our website at www.shelterlegalservices.org for more information about clinics and student volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering and would like to attend an upcoming training please RSVP to Anna Schleelein at schleelein@gmail.com.  If you are a 3L or a military veteran please let her know in your RSVP.

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Veterans’ Advocacy Network: Veterans Intake Assistance Project

There are approximately 500,000 military veterans living in Massachusetts. Many of these veterans are entitled to compensation for illnesses, injuries, or mental health conditions caused or aggravated by their military service. The process of applying for healthcare and disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, however, is lengthy and complicated and many veterans’ are wrongfully denied benefits when they first apply. As much as 73% of these claims are granted on appeal, and veterans who are represented by counsel historically have a much higher success rate.

The Veterans’ Advocacy Network is partnering with the Massachusetts Bar Association to connect veterans with volunteer lawyers trained by the MBA in veterans’ benefits law. The intake assistance project is an opportunity for law students to help with this effort. Students will receive training where they will learn some basics of veterans’ benefits law and how to conduct an initial client interview. Trained students will be supervised and staff the MBA’s phone lines on specific days conducting intake interviews for veterans with disability claims, or referring them to other sources of legal assistance.

Interested students should contact Anna Schleelein with their name, class year, and whether they are a veteran or the family member of a veteran.

Contact:
Anna M. Schleelein (BU Law ’08)
Veterans Program Director
Shelter Legal Services
885 Centre Street
schleelein@shelterlegalservices.org
617-935-2989

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Foreclosure Taskforce

The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB), the Legal Services Center (LSC), and City Life have formed a coalition to address the foreclosure crisis. Through legal action and community mobilization, the Foreclosure Taskforce seeks to make it more costly and difficult for banks to evict the tenants in foreclosed properties, and in so doing pressure the banks to change their current policy of evicting everyone. To increase the number of people who stay in their homes until being evicted through court process (thus increasing the costs to banks), the Foreclosure Taskforce is organizing a group of volunteers to canvass neighborhoods and speak with tenants in person about their legal rights and option to refuse "cash-for-keys" move-out agreements (banks use these agreements to pressure tenants to leave quickly and at low cost) and to contact HLAB or City Life. The Housing & Consumer Protection Clinic will also be taking some of the post-foreclosure eviction cases to help in the effort. BU Law's Chapter of the Project is looking for student volunteers who are willing to canvass at foreclosed properties and provide tenants and former owners information regarding their rights and options. If you are interested in getting involved with this exciting, cutting-edge, important work, please contact buforeclosuretaskforce@gmail.com for more details.

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BU Law Pro Bono Spring Break Trips

BU Law will be organizing student volunteer pro bono trips during the spring break recess:

New Orleans Service Trip
For the past three years, BU Law students have traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to volunteer in various legal organizations across Louisiana in efforts to aid displaced residents of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. BU Law is proud to sponsor another trip to the Gulf Coast region this year from Sunday, March 6th to Saturday, March 13th. Application information will we released by the end of the fall semester and posted on the pro bono opportunities page.

Immigration Asylum Trip, Harlingen, TX
The South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) is a national effort to provide pro bono legal services to asylum seekers detained in South Texas by the United States government. The project recruits, trains and coordinates the activities of volunteer attorneys, law students and legal assistants. ProBAR is a joint project of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The Texas Access to Justice Foundation provides support to this project.

Up to six BU Law students will be selected to travel to Harlingen, Texas, to volunteer with ProBar from Sunday, March 6th, and returning Saturday, March 13th. Students will be under the supervision of a volunteer attorney. Accommodations and transportation will be provided. More details and application materials will be released by the end of the fall smester and posted on the pro bono opportunities page.

For more information about ProBar, please visit:
http://www.abanet.org/publicserv/immigration/probar.shtml

Preference will be given to students who speak Spanish and who have prior Asylum or other Immigration law experience.

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Neighborhood of Affordable Housing - Group Orientation Assistance Internship Program

The Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), is an East Boston based community development corporation structured to collaborate and support residents in their pursuit of affordable housing strategies, environmental justice, community planning, leadership development, and economic development opportunities. Our home counseling department helps more than 200 first time homebuyers each year to get prepared to purchase their homes with certified first time homebuyer classes, financial literacy sessions, and individual counseling on credit and mortgage assessment. Due to the current foreclosure crisis in October of 2007 NOAH, with the help of Neighbor Works America and Mass Housing, started a Foreclosure Prevention program.

Description:

Students will work with supervision by a team of experienced Housing Counselors to provide counseling and guidance to low and moderate income homeowners at risk of or in the process of losing their homes. NOAH schedules weekly clinics to groups of homeowners who need orientation about the options available on avoiding foreclosure.

The Interns will be responsible for 1) production and distribution of educational and marketing materials that will be used at the clinics; 2) helping customers fill out required forms and complete a successful intake process; 3) helping customers complete a budget and advise them about how to improve their finances; and 4) conducting twenty minute individual sessions with families after the group orientation to review the intake package, design a work out plan and advice them on their next step.

NOAH will provide training with the assistance of the Boston Federal Reserve Bank, Division of Banks, Neighbor works and Mass Housing.  The minimum number of hours the intern should commit to participate in this internship is 4 hours a week per school semester.

Spanish and Portuguese speaking is a plus.

Please email a cover letter and resume to:
Carolina Trujillo
Home Counseling Director
Neighborhood of Affordable Housing
143 Border Street
East Boston MA 02128
trujillo.carolina@gmail.com

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Neighborhood of Affordable Housing Foreclosure Prevention Program Internship

NOAH, the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, is an East Boston based community development corporation structured to collaborate and support residents in their pursuit of affordable housing strategies, environmental justice, community planning, leadership development, and economic development opportunities. Our home counseling department helps more than 200 first time homebuyers each year to get prepared to purchase their homes with certified first time homebuyer classes, financial literacy sessions, and individual counseling on credit and mortgage assessment. Due to the current foreclosure crisis in October of 2007 NOAH, with the help of Neighbor Works America and Mass Housing, started a Foreclosure Prevention program. The homeownership department developed a method to help customers on an individual base with different solutions depending on their needs, either refinancing through the Mass Housing “Home Saver Program” or any other appropriate mortgage product, negotiating with their current lender to modify the terms of their loans, and even the sale of the property through a short sale as a last resource.

Description:

Work with supervision by a team of experienced Housing Counselors to provide counseling and guidance to low and moderate income homeowners at risk of or in the process of losing their homes. Interns participating in this internship will help manage the files during the individual counseling process. Some of the activities that they will be responsible for are:

1) Meet with customers and prepare loan restructure packages to be sent to the servicer. Including writing hardship letters.

2) Deal with mortgage lenders and brokers, loan servicers, final investors and real estate agents.

3) Stay current on issues relevant to the mortgage lending, changes in foreclosure laws, the availability of resources and special programs in the city of Boston and in neighboring jurisdictions.

4) Research activities in the real estate, lending and related markets that can be helpful for the customers.

5) Participate in policy recommendations.

6) Maintain and monitor clients’ files and database.

7) Write reports and correspondence as needed.

8) Assist the counselors to conduct homeownership post purchase and foreclosure prevention educational presentations to groups such as community organizations, PTAs, religious or social committees, etc.

NOAH will provide training with the assistance of the Boston Federal Reserve Bank, Division of Banks, Neighbor works and Mass Housing.

The minimum number of hours the intern should commit to participate in this internship is 15 hours a week per school semester.

Spanish and Portuguese speaking is a Plus.

Under no circumstances the interns should give any legal advice. If the case needs the advice of an attorney the intern should contact the counselor who will refer the customer to a professional attorney for their advice.

Please email a cover letter and resume to:

Carolina Trujillo
Home Counseling Director
Neighborhood of Affordable Housing
143 Border Street
East Boston MA 02128
trujillo.carolina@gmail.com

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