Attention volunteers be sure to RSVP for the Gratitude Celebration here.

Community Legal Services (CLS) provides a wide variety of opportunities for members of the community to volunteer with our nine pro bono programs. CLS pro bono programs assist King County residents and those with legal cases in King County with civil legal issues. In 2006, nearly 3,000 attorney, paralegal, and student volunteers served over 9,000 clients. These volunteers’ time represents a $3.8 million dollar contribution to the King County community. Click here to read the full history of CLS.

• Volunteers’ Frequently Asked Questions
• Volunteer Brochure (PDF)
• Volunteer Application (PDF)
• Free Training for Volunteers
• Community Legal Services’ Free Legal Assistance

We invite you to join our talented team of volunteers! To choose the right pro bono experience, we encourage you to read through all the volunteer opportunities listed below. Carefully consider professional background, amount of time to donate, duration of commitment, and interests while considering a volunteer opportunity.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ATTORNEYS

Attorneys with Limited Experience
We are unable to provide extensive mentoring for attorneys volunteering with all programs. The following programs have the ability to train attorneys who are new to a specific area of law and provide mentoring:

• Domestic Violence Revision Squad Program
• Family Law Mentor Program
• Housing Justice Project
• Kinship Care Solutions
• Neighborhood Legal Clinics
• Newcomers Resource Project (Wage Claim Project)

Experienced Attorneys
For attorneys with substantial experience in the civil legal areas of Chapter 7 bankruptcy, breach of confidentiality (VAPWA only), consumer law, contracts/warranties (VAPWA only), criminal record vacation, debt defense, employment, estate planning, family law, housing and real estate law, insurance (VAPWA only), public benefits, special education, and guardianship, the following programs provide opportunities to provide pro bono clients with services:

• Housing Justice Project
• Kinship Care Solutions
• Legal Services for the Homeless
• Neighborhood Legal Clinic (Specialty Clinics)
• Newcomers Resource Project
• Volunteer Attorneys for Persons with HIV/AIDS (VAPWA)
• Volunteer Legal Services

Attorneys Interested in Mentoring
Attorneys who have extensive experience in a particular area of law and are not interested in taking cases can provide a valuable service by mentoring attorneys with questions in the volunteer’s area of expertise. The following programs have a need for mentoring attorneys:

• Family Law Mentor Program
• Housing Justice Project
• Kinship Care Solutions
• Legal Services for the Homeless
• Newcomers Resource Project
• Volunteer Attorneys for Persons with HIV/AIDS (VAPWA)
• Volunteer Legal Services

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARALEGALS and STUDENTS

Paralegals, students, and other community members can get involved in Community Legal Services’ pro bono efforts through on-going volunteerism with the following programs:

• Housing Justice Project
• Neighborhood Legal Clinic

For brief descriptions of all current work study positions, internships, externships, and on-going volunteer opportunities for students, visit our KCBA Opportunities page.

MISSION

The mission of Community Legal Services is to promote social justice by ensuring equal and non-discriminatory access to our services for all individuals. We provide volunteer-based, client-focused legal services to primarily low-income residents of King County who would not otherwise receive legal assistance.

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