Volunteer Attorney - Volunteer Lawyers Project

WHY IOWAS POOR NEED YOUR HELP:The demand for civil legal representation simply has outstripped the available legal resources. Federally funded legal assistance programs are unable to meet all of the legal needs of Iowas low-income population.Documenting the Justice Gap in America ? The Current Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-income Americans, by the Legal Services Corporation found that: For every client served by an LSC-funded program, at least one person who sought help was turned down because of insufficient resources.

• Only a very small percentage of the legal problems experienced by low-income people (one in five or less) are addressed with the assistance of a private attorney or a legal aid lawyer.

HOW LAWYERS CAN HELP IOWAS POOR:

A little of your time can make a big difference. By contributing your expertise through the Iowa Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers Project, you can provide desperately needed legal assistance. It is projected that approximately 500,000 low-income people in Iowa have income below 125% of the poverty level ($28,813 for a family of four), yet have serious legal problems. The Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct encourage every lawyer to aspire to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services per year.

The Iowa Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers Project needs attorneys willing to represent low-income clients in a wide variety of civil legal matters, including family law, consumer problems, landlord/tenant disputes, civil rights and government benefits cases.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT?

All Iowa attorneys, recent admittees, as well as experienced practitioners, are encouraged to participate. Established members of the bar will appreciate the opportunity to explore new areas of practice and develop new insights into the problems of the poor. Newer attorneys will gain valuable litigation experience through their contributions.

The Volunteer Lawyers Projects are an innovative approach to providing high quality services to Iowas low-income population. To be successful, however, they must receive contributions of time and expertise from attorneys who are committed to ensuring equal justice for all Iowans. Your help is urgently needed. Please volunteer.

HOW THE VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT WORKS:

Iowa has three Volunteer Lawyers Projects. They are the Iowa Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers Project, serving residents of 96 Iowa counties, the Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, which serves residents of Polk County, and the Pro Bono Project of Scott/Clinton County, which services residents of Scott and Clinton Counties. The Volunteer Lawyers Projects are designed to give participating attorneys control over the number of pro bono referrals to be accepted and the decision as to whether to accept a given referral at a given time. Volunteer lawyers are initially contacted by a Referral Coordinator, rather than by the would-be client, and are given the opportunity to accept or decline each referral.

• Clients have been screened to determine financial eligibility and to ascertain the existence of a legal problem.
• Volunteer attorneys are referred cases only in those areas of law in which they have agreed to practice.
• A case fact memo and, when appropriate, a brief legal analysis is provided.
• Attorneys are contacted by telephone, fax, or e?mail, prior to referral to ensure that they will be willing to accept a particular case.
• Although clients referred through the Project are charged no fee, volunteer attorneys are free to recover a fee from the opposing party or public funds.

BENEFITS FOR VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT PARTICIPANTS:

• A library of poverty law materials, pleadings, and resource materials is available to volunteer attorneys.
• Staff attorneys experienced in specific areas of poverty law are available to provide technical assistance, research backup, and co-counseling.
• Attorneys are encouraged to join probono.net/iowa which is a collaborative project involving Iowa Legal Aid, Iowas three volunteer lawyers projects and attorneys in public and private practice throughout the state. This free service provides a comprehensive collection of information on legal topics, upcoming events such as continuing legal education opportunities, and resources about civil law practice for members of Iowas justice community.
• Participating attorneys are eligible to attend accredited Project Sponsored continuing legal education seminars at a reduced rate.
• Malpractice coverage is provided to volunteer attorneys for all cases accepted.

For more information contact:

IOWA LEGAL AID

VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT

1111 9th Street, Suite 230

Des Moines, IA 50314?2527

515-243-2980, Extension 1651

800-798-0311

www.iowalegalaid.org