Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center
The award winning pro bono program was developed in response to the growing need to provide legal services to the underserved who have serious legal problems but cannot afford to pay for the services of a competent attorney.
The Fairfax Law Foundation and the Fairfax Bar Association support a vibrant and expanding civil pro bono program. Volunteer lawyers, law students, and paralegals generously give their time to staff diverse project.
Highlights from the program
Community Economic Development Project: Law firm assists small businesses with their legal issues.
Housing, Consumer, and Employment Law Panels: Volunteer attorneys screen and interview financially eligible clients with legal problems with eviction, fraud, consumer credit, bill collection, repossession, unlawful termination, discrimination, wage loss, or unemployment compensation cases. Attorneys who agree to evaluate the matters often undertake full representation.
Neighborhood Outreach Program: Volunteer lawyers interview low-income clients at sites throughout the county, including homeless shelters, community centers, and family resources centers, to provide legal advice and referral information in civil matters. Attorneys may choose to provide further legal representation, where appropriate. Training and written materials are available to assist the volunteer attorney.
Family Legal Assistance Project (FLAP): Low-income and poverty clients without other resources are matched with volunteer lawyers for full representation on the agreed-upon family law issues. These matters are often critical to the client's life and may include child support, custody, divorce and adoption. Volunteers also participate in pro bono custody mediation.
Uncontested Divorce Panel: After potential clients are interviewed and screened, pro bono attorneys handle the uncontested divorce matters and obtain a final decree. These cases do not involved issues of custody, support, or property.
Nonprofit Legal Support Program (NSLP): Corporate and transactional attorneys volunteer to represent 501(c)(3) corporations in distinct matters such as incorporation, contracts, employment, finance, and personnel issues.
Wills on Wheels: Lawyers volunteer to draft end-of-life and planning documents such as Wills, Health Care Directives, and Powers of Attorney. The volunteer attorneys, as a group, visit sites throughout the community to perform this service for low-income seniors.
Getting Involved
Volunteer for a variety of projects and panels which range from "advice only" to representation in court, teach poverty clients about their basic rights, be a mentor and assist in CLE training, and volunteer as much or as little time as you wish.
For more information on any of the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center's programs, contact Arlene Beckerman at 703-246-3779 or email her at abeckerman@fairfaxbar.org.
If interested in volunteering for the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center, complete this form and fax it to 703-246-2752, email abeckerman@fairxbar.org, or send it in to the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center,
4110 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 215, Fairfax, VA 22030.
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