Additional Pro Bono Projects

The North Carolina nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) coalition works to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have their vote count. Volunteers will staff the virtual hotline during early voting and the General Election on Nov. 3 to provide assistance to voters around the state. To serve as a hotline volunteer, you must hold a JD or currently be enrolled in law school. Volunteers are required to: • Have a law degree, be currently enrolled in law school, or have prior experience answering a nonpartisan voter hotline; • Be able to serve a minimum of FOUR shifts between September 1 and November 13, 2020 (shifts are four hours long, typically Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. or 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., with weekend hours in October and November); • Have access to a computer with reliable internet access and a headset with a microphone; • Have basic computer / internet skills and the ability to troubleshoot problems; • Be able to attend a two-hour online training; and • Be able to interact with voters in a calm, nonpartisan manner.

The Appellate Pro Bono Project seeks pro bono attorneys to help pro se litigants for cases before the NC Court of Appeals or the NC Supreme Court that meet the following requirements: (1) The appeal involves one or more pro se litigants who would qualify for in forma pauperis status, as set out in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-288, regardless of whether the litigant has applied for in forma pauperis status; (2) The appeal presents at least one non-frivolous issue; and (3) The pro se litigant consents to be represented by a pro bono attorney and an attorney, chosen from a list maintained by the NCBA’s Appellate Practice Section, consents to represent the litigant free of charge. The Program will be coordinated by the Pro Bono Committee of the N.C. Court of Appeals, which will consist of Court of Appeals judges selected by the Court, and by the NCBA’s Appellate Practice Section and its Pro Bono Committee.

The BIA Pro Bono Appeals Project matches vulnerable immigrants with pro bono counsel to defend their cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). One of the nation's most successful pro bono initiatives, the BIA Project partners with attorneys and law school clinics to provide pro bono legal representation to indigent immigrants. Through a network of committed volunteers, trainers, and mentors, the BIA Project facilitates access to justice, a critical component to safeguarding the rights of vulnerable asylum-seekers and long time lawful permanent residents. Since the Project’s inception in 2001, it has reviewed over 7,200 appeals cases. The Project's cases regularly result in significant decisions, including favorable, published BIA decisions, as well as Federal and Supreme Court decisions. In a published study, the Department of Justice found that immigrants who had been provided representation through the Project were up to four times more likely to win a favorable decision before the BIA.

Due to this unprecedented public health crisis, Prisoner Legal Services (PLS), a nonprofit law firm that advocates for the rights of those incarcerated in North Carolina state prisons, is seeking pro bono attorneys and paralegals to help PLS file Motions for Appropriate Relief to amend sentences for people who are particularly vulnerable to infection and/ or have other compelling mitigating factors.

Prisoner Legal Services…
- Identifies clients who are good candidates for MAR relief based on a combination of factors, including age, percentage of sentence served, type of conviction, and possible medical risk.
- Assigns appropriate cases to pro bono attorneys.
- Provides training and malpractice insurance to volunteers.
- Provides templates and clear, step-by-step instructions to pro bono attorneys.
- Provides ongoing supervision and mentoring as needed.

Pro bono attorneys must…
- Communicate with their client via letter and phone as instructed by PLS and within one week of having the case assigned.
- Communicate with the district attorney in the volunteer’s local jurisdiction to find out if they consent to the motion.
- If the district attorney does not consent, determine whether grounds exist to file the MAR without district attorney support.
- File the MAR and appear in court for a hearing if required to do so.
- Communicate with PLS staff about the status of the case.

After signing up to volunteer, you will be sent a link to sign up for a North Carolina Advocates for Justice webinar training taking place this Friday, May 1 at 12 pm. You will also be provided with a detailed training manual. Criminal law or litigation experience is helpful but not necessary.

This is a project of North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services in partnership with the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, and the North Carolina Justice Center.

Need family law attorneys to volunteer do complete 1 Custody with Visitation or Child Support Modification case per year.

Community Legal Project is a joint collaboration with UNC Law School. Law Students meet in-person with a client to assess their situation regarding family law or domestic violence. After the initial assessment, the student writes an official law school memo that is reviewed by an attorney. The volunteer attorney provides feedback and edits to the memo, which is presented to the client in person.

Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps people in the Charlotte, North Carolina, region who cannot afford legal services, but desperately need them. Without legal representation in civil matters, thousands of families can lose access to financial security, healthcare, housing and opportunity. Through its Community Redevelopment Project, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps low-income N.C. residents get their criminal records expunged. Expunctions remove past dismissed charges and convictions of misdemeanors and minor felonies on eligible criminal records by a court order. We are seeking pro bono attorneys to take on expungement cases. Without pro bono volunteers, these would otherwise appear on background checks when applying for housing and employment. More than one in five North Carolinians has a criminal record. Too often, individuals are automatically denied employment, housing, and other opportunities, based on past involvement with the criminal justice system, including dismissed charges and long-ago convictions. Through our individual representation and advocacy, we seek to help people with a criminal record have a fair chance at productive citizenship. We offer trainings to attorneys outside of their practice area. We also provide a tool kit with the necessary materials to take the case. The Advocacy Center staff provide ongoing assistance and co-counsel is welcome and encouraged! You would enjoy expunction work if: You want to work directly with clients. You are excited about eliminating barriers to opportunity in North Carolina. You want to volunteer but have limited or inconsistent time to do so. You want to learn more about re-entry and criminal justice reform.

LANC’s legal information pro bono project where legal information videos are webcast across the state to community partners for the general public. Then a live Q&A is provide afterwards with a volunteer attorney.

The Compass Center is an organization that provides domestic violence and self-sufficiency services to women and families throughout the triangle area. The Community Legal project connects Compass Center clients to law students who draft memoranda providing information about a clients specific legal needs, usually relating to family law or landlord/tenant claims. The program maintains a directory of volunteer attorneys who review student memos before transmission to clients. Not only does the program provide an important service, but it also has the benefit of exposing attorneys to potential clients. The program thrives off of the generosity of our volunteer attorney reviewers, and we are in great need of new volunteers for this vital pro-bono opportunity.

Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps people in the Charlotte, North Carolina, region who cannot afford legal services, but desperately need them. Without legal representation in civil matters, thousands of families can lose access to financial security, healthcare, housing and opportunity. Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is dedicated to ending the debilitating cycle of poverty and helping local families build wealth and prepare for the future. By protecting consumers from fraudulent practices that can take away a family home, income and transportation, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy promotes economic mobility for all in the community. Consumer protection cases preserve individual rights and income against bad actors in the marketplace. Pro bono cases include home and auto fraud, protection from predatory loans, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant cases, etc. There are several areas of need in our community, all of which offer great opportunities for longstanding commitments to clients and to learn about a variety of legal issues. All of this work ensures safe housing, family security, and stable income. We offer trainings to attorneys outside of their practice area. We also provide a tool kit with the necessary materials to take the case. The Advocacy Center staff provide ongoing assistance and co-counsel is welcome and encouraged! You would enjoy consumer protection work if: Longstanding client-attorney relationships are important to you. You are excited about preserving client livelihoods in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. You enjoy being challenged and learning about new practice areas.