VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS FOR PERSONS WITH HIV/AIDS (VAPWA)

For client information, please visit Community Legal Services’ Free Legal Assistance page.

Program Overview
VAPWA provides direct representation by volunteer attorneys to low income people with HIV/AIDS covering a broad array of civil legal issues. AIDS Legal Access, a part of the VAPWA program, serves clients with HIV/AIDS with both reduced fee and full fee. VAPWA is located in Seattle and serves all of Washington State. Potential clients contact the program directly or may be referred by another social service agency. Prior to referral to a volunteer attorney, all clients are screened for income eligibility and all VAPWA cases are screened for legal merit.

Many of the problems are small from a legal standpoint, but of crucial importance to the client because they may affect their end-of-life quality, income level, ability to meet basic needs or ability to live free of harassment and/or discrimination.

VOLUNTEER PANELS: VAPWA supports several volunteer panels that include the following practice areas:

Bankruptcy (Chapter 7 only)
Consumer Issues (Contracts/Warrants)
Criminal Records Vacation
Debt Defense
Employment (Job Discrimination, Requests For Reasonable Accommodation)
Estate Planning (Will, DPOA, Healthcare Directives)
Family Law (Custody/Visitation, Dissolution, Guardianship, Adoption, Support)
Health (Breach of Confidentiality, Insurance, Malpractice)
Housing (Landlord/Tenant, Evictions, Reasonable Accommodation, Habitability)
Immigration
Income Maintenance (Long-Term Disability Insurance Denials and Terminations, Unemployment Compensation, Labor and Industries)
Licenses
Public Benefits (Social Security Denials, Overpayments, Terminations)
Tort defense

Volunteer Positions, Expectations, and Commitment
VAPWA needs attorneys to volunteer for direct representation of clients and/or serve as a mentor for a less experienced attorney providing the direct representation.

Direct Representation Volunteers
Each volunteer attorney is contacted about a case that matches their area of training. The volunteer may choose to take the case or not. Each case varies in length and difficulty. Volunteers must be comfortable working with clients that are HIV+ or have AIDS. Clients come from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. Some clients may also have issues with mental health, chemical dependency issues, dementia or cognitive impairments.

Mentor Volunteers
Attorneys volunteering to mentor are contacted as needed to mentor less experienced attorneys who have taken cases in the mentoring attorney’s area of expertise. The mentor may choose to provide guidance on the case or not. Each case varies in length and difficulty. The mentor communicates directly with the volunteer attorney representing the client and mentors them as needed.

Although there is no required time commitment, VAPWA generally asks each pro bono volunteer to accept a minimum of two cases per year.

Training and Support
VAPWA and the Community Legal Services programs sponsor several substantive CLEs each year in practice areas relevant to working with low-income clients. These CLEs are free to VAPWA attorneys who agree to take a case related to the topic area within the next calendar year. CLE announcements are distributed to all program volunteers via email, and a formal posting is also printed in the Bar Bulletin. To view up-coming training opportunities with this and other programs, visit the Free Trainings for Volunteers page.

Trained volunteer attorneys are contacted when a case in the volunteer’s area of experience becomes available for placement. VAPWA staff instruct the client to call the attorney directly, and can assist as needed in connecting the attorney and client. KCBA office space is available, by appointment, for client meetings when needed. Interpreters are provided for clients with limited English proficiency.

MENTORING: VAPWA also provides mentoring to inexperienced attorneys when requested for a referred case. Practice areas in which mentors are usually available include estate planning, bankruptcy, housing, and Social Security overpayments and denials.

CLE CREDITS: VAPWA attorneys receive CLE credits, as approved by the Washington State Bar Association, for all trainings they attend. In addition to these credits, volunteers can earn up to four (4) additional CLE credits by providing pro bono representation through the VAPWA program.

MALPRACTICE INSURANCE: In addition to the malpractice insurance maintained by a volunteer and/or their firm (which serves as the volunteer's primary insurance), VAPWA provides volunteers with secondary malpractice insurance for all cases referred through the program.

Benefits of Volunteering
The time VAPWA volunteers spend assisting clients makes a huge difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. For each individual client, it can mean a significant improvement in their quality of life. Beyond helping the individual, the work a volunteer does can help to educate the community, a few people at a time, and move us toward a more accepting and caring society.

In addition, attorneys may earn Continuing Legal Education credits, make professional connections in the legal community, and gain experience in client interaction, negotiation, and litigation.

Ready to Volunteer?
To begin taking cases or mentoring a less experienced attorney on a case, complete and return the appropriate application (available above) to CLS@KCBA.org with the subject VAPWA Volunteer. Be sure to note your legal area(s) of expertise and interest. You will then be notified of upcoming CLEs and be contacted about taking a case as one comes up in your area of expertise and/or interest.

For questions about taking cases for VAPWA, contact Connie at 206.267.7025 or CLS@KCBA.org with VAPWA in the subject line.

To view up-coming training opportunities with this and other programs, visit the Free Trainings for Volunteers page.

The mission of the VAPWA program is to provide civil legal representation, advice, and education to individuals living with HIV/AIDS within Washington State.