Mark your calendar for the annual fall VLP trainings:
November 4-6, 2008
Richard T. Anderson Education Center
Waukesha County Technical College
Topics will include Bankruptcy, Family Law, Elder Law & Unemployment Compensation.
November 18-20, 2008
American Family Training Center - Madison, WI
Topics will include Consumer, Housing & Immigration Law & Working with Interpreters.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
Check the Training link to the right for more information.
VLP: Our Purpose
To help people like these: A battered woman is evicted from her home because of an abusive boyfriend.
A mental patient is forced into bankruptcy. An
elderly homeowner faces collection on work never performed. To see the sorts of
"choices" a family at the poverty has make every day,
click to take a brief video tour.
Without the ability to pay for legal services, these people, and in fact any one
of us, could become victims of the legal system rather than protected by
it.
The private attorneys who volunteer their time through the Volunteer Lawyers
Project (VLP) believe in the principle of equal access to the legal system,
of making "justice for all" more than just a promise. These attorneys
are convinced that our legal system must work for all of its citizens.
Each year, VLP attorneys donate more than 3,000 hours of legal work while
balancing busy lives and their own caseloads.
VLP Projects
Pro Bono Panels
- Volunteers provide free legal services to low-income clients in the counties
of their choice. Volunteers are needed in every area of the law.
Domestic Violence Injunction Project
- Attorneys volunteer to prepare for and
appear at final injunction hearings.
Legal Services Intake Panels
- Volunteer attorneys interview clients at intake
sites in Waukesha, Milwaukee, Dane, Racine and Walworth Counties.
Volunteers gather the facts of each client?s case and provide advice where
appropriate.
Click here for a 2008 Milwaukee Intake sign-up form you can fax or mail to the VLP
Click here for a 2008 Waukesha Intake sign-up form you can fax or mail to the VLP
Pro Bono QDRO Project
- Volunteer Employee Benefit attorneys agree to assist
VLP and Legal Action attorneys on cases in which QDRO (Qualified Domestic
Relations Order) issues arise.
Consumer Advocacy & Bankruptcy Assistance Project
- Attorneys register to
educate and counsel low-income persons on consumer, debt collection and
bankruptcy matters by conducting monthly seminars at designated community
sites, performing intake services at Legal Action offices, and/or representing
clients.
Click here for a 2008 Consumer/Bankruptcy sign-up form you can fax or mail to the VLP
The Benefits
Helping others, especially those who have no other options available, is often
its own reward. However, volunteers in our projects gain far more
than satisfaction. Our projects provide valuable experience.
As a VLP attorney, you can assist clients in need as well as advance your
career.
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Free CLE training
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Comprehensive manuals at no cost
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Experience in several areas of law
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Courtroom exposure and client contact
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Malpractice insurance
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Panels, projects and support so you can fulfill your
pro bono obligations
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Recognition
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Flexibility - you may accept or reject cases as your
schedule dictates
Getting Involved
Lawyers in Wisconsin have a tradition of service to the community through pro bono
work. The VLP offers attorneys the opportunity to carry on this important
tradition. No matter what your level of experience or area of expertise,
Legal Action needs you because our clients need you.
If you are interested in VLP opportunities,
please call the VLP Project Coordinator at 414-278-7722 or toll free at 888-278-0633
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