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Employment |  Community Service | Sparer Program | News & Announcements
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Financial Resources | Student Organizations | Career Home
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Internships | Clinics | Pro Bono Projects
The goal of a democratic society is that all have access to the courts regardless of their ability to pay. A key element in fulfilling that ideal is the willingness of the legal profession to provide representation and assistance to those who would otherwise not be heard, and to ensure that matters of importance to all of us, such as the Rule 6.1 addressing the responsibility of lawyers to undertake pro bono work, and their Accreditation Standards, addressing the responsibility of law schools to make pro bono opportunities available. Brooklyn Law School has a long history of contributing to the community through the pro bono work of its students, faculty and staff, and many of its programs. "Off Campus" Pro Bono Opportunities Supplementing the "on-campus" programs above, thousands of opportunities for involvement with pro bono activities in the New York area are available through the websites and organizations listed below. In addition, the Public Service Office at Brooklyn Law School is available both to help with individual placements as well as to help students develop new on-campus pro bono initiatives. Finding Pro Bono Opportunities: Pro Bono Net City Bar Justice Center of the New York City Bar Association City Bar Fund's Pro Bono Guide (PDF) The Legal Aid Society's Pro Bono Program American Bar Association's Center for Pro Bono Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) PSLawNet (register, if you have not yet, and make up your own password) Specifically for Law Students: Pro Bono Legal Corps PSLawNet (limit your search to unpaid internships) Training: Pro Bono Net's Training Calendar for the New York Area "On Campus" Pro Bono Opportunity Descriptions Brooklyn Family Court Evening Session /Assigned Domestic Violence Counsel Project Students attend night court and assist victims of domestic violence by helping them navigate the family court system, understand their legal rights, and obtain an order of protection against their abuser. Student volunteers draft petitions for orders of protection and help petitioners access appropriate domestic violence services while reviewing petitioners' circumstances and identifying the need for representation by attorneys from the Assigned Domestic Violence Counsel Project. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Legal Association for Women Participating Organizations: Sanctuary for Families When and for How Long: Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5-9 p.m. throughout the year. Training: A prerequisite training session (part of CAP training) is offered once each semester at BLS and several times over the year in various locations around New York City. Getting Involved: Look for notices of the Legal Association for Women, attend a meeting, or contact the students below for how to get started. Contacts: Katherine Nicolais, katherine.nicolais@brooklaw.edu and Jennifer Wilcox, jennifer.wilcox@brooklaw.edu Civil Legal Assistance and Resource Office (CLARO) Students assist attorneys advising consumer debtors who are often victims of aggressive or predatory lenders or collectors. Volunteers help clients at an advice only clinic to help them through the daunting process of representing themselves in court. Students gain exposure to civil procedure, debtor/creditor law and legal issues of financial justice. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Public Service Programs Office Participating Organizations: Volunteer Lawyer's Project (VLP) of the Brooklyn Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association's Civil Court Committee. When and for How Long: Thursdays from 6-8 at the Brooklyn Civil Court. Students may assist at as many or as few clinics as they like, but will benefit most (as will the clients) after attending 4 or more clinic sessions and developing familiarity with the issues and civil procedures involved. Training: Students attend a short training at Brooklyn Law School in the early fall followed by a training in October organized for the volunteer lawyers whom they will assist at Brooklyn Civil Court. Training manuals are also provided. Getting Involved: Contact the Public Service Programs Office or the contacts listed below. This project may be of interest to anyone interested in debtor-creditor law, consumer protection, economic justice, direct services, or civil procedure. Student volunteers also get exposure to legal issues regarding banking and commercial paper. Contact: BLS Public Service Programs Office at publicservice@brooklaw.edu, John Buhta, john.buhta@brooklaw.edu or Natalie Peled, natalie.peled@brooklaw.edu Courtroom Advocates Program (CAP) One of Brooklyn Law School's longest standing pro bono projects, participating students assist and advocate for victims of domestic violence seeking orders of protection in Brooklyn Family Court. Students help women fill out petitions for orders of protection and maintain contact and advocacy as necessary to ensure petitioner returns for her next court date. Students may also advocate for the client's best interests before the judge on the return date. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Legal Association for Women Participating Organizations: Sanctuary for Families, a seasoned organization that supervise volunteer advocates in court. When and for How Long: Monday through Friday during the morning or afternoon throughout the year. Training: One full day of intensive training is accompanied by a training manual and additional follow-up seminars. The training is offered several times during the year in different locations around the city and is a prerequisite for participation in the program. Getting Involved: Look for notices of the Legal Association for Women, attend a meeting or contact the students below for meeting and training schedules. Contacts: Katherine Nicolais, katherine.nicolais@brooklaw.edu and Jennifer Wilcox, jennifer.wilcox@brooklaw.edu BLS Legal Outreach - Constitutional Law Debate Program BLS students coach high school students in understanding constitutional issues and in developing and arguing their position in relation to selected Supreme Court decisions and provided fact patterns. The high school students compete in four Legal Outreach debates throughout the year and law students join judges and attorneys in judging the final competition. Being a coach is a great opportunity for first year students to supplement their constitutional law and legal writing courses. In the process of helping local high school students, coaches read and analyze important cases that are covered in the BLS Constitutional Law course and become familiar with briefs by editing and revising those of their students. On Campus Sponsoring Organizations: BLS Legal Outreach Participating Organization: Legal Outreach, Inc. When and for How Long: Four debates throughout the school year; 2-3 hours preparing for each debate. Training: Optional coach training sessions prior to each debate. Getting Involved: Contact Lora or Veronica or look for signs around the law school for more information. Contact: Lora Epstein, lora.epstein@brooklaw.edu or Veronica Lau, veronica.lau@brooklaw.edu Project FAIR Assist low-income New Yorkers prepare for administrative hearings regarding the denial, delay, reduction, or termination of their public assistance benefits. Student advocates conduct client interviews, draft informal written communications, and negotiate with city and state agencies. After completing a certain number of hours for a semester or more, students may appear on behalf of their clients at hearings before administrative judges. On Campus Sponsoring Organizations: Public Service Programs Office Participating Organizations: Project FAIR is sponsored jointly by New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), and the Brooklyn Office of The Legal Aid Society at 111 Livingston Street, but several other economic justice non-profit groups also participate. When and for How Long: Fridays between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at 14 Boerum Place. Student advocates are asked to staff the Project FAIR table at least one shift per month for a minimum of four shifts. Hearings, which students may handle once they have had sufficient experience, are scheduled throughout the week. Training: Offsite trainings are offered monthly; training at BLS can be scheduled on request. See the Project FAIR website or contact Chris Portelli for the schedule. All student volunteers are paired with experienced benefits advocates while they staff the table. Getting Involved: Attend (or organize) a training, and then spend your next available Friday lunch hour at 14 Boerum. This project may be of interest to anyone interested in welfare and benefits law and policy, economic justice, direct services to clients, due process issues or learning civil procedure in the hearing context. Contact: Christopher Portelli, cportelli@nylag.org School for Law and Justice (SLJ) Mentoring Program On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Brooklyn Law School SLJ Mentoring Program. Participating Organization: Urban Assembly High School for Law and Justice When and for How Long: Mentors are asked to commit for the entire year, and sign up each fall at the beginning of the academic year. Students meet with their mentees at BLS twice a month for 2 hours. Training: A short Department of Education training is required; fingerprints and a background check are also prerequisite. Getting Involved: Look for postings or announcements at the beginning of the year, or contact Lauren Jones. This project has been active for 3 years and has proven to be extremely satisfying for both mentors and mentees. Contacts: Lauren Jones, lauren.jones@brooklaw.edu, and Moya O'Connor, moya.oconnor@brooklaw.edu Student Hurricane Network (SHN) The Brooklyn Law School SHN is part of a nation-wide organization facilitating opportunities for legal volunteers in the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Students have worked in New Orleans and in several other sites on the Gulf Coast in both criminal and civil contexts, and with a variety of local non-profits. In addition to the award winning work of BLS students in this project, at least one professor has also participated. Students have participated individually and in larger groups. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Brooklyn Law School Student Hurricane Network Participating Organization: There is also a national Student Hurricane Network (see website above). When and for How Long: Students volunteer during semester breaks or during the summer at their option. Training: No formal training is required, but your interests and background may effect how you can be most helpful. Getting Involved: Explore the website and talk to students who have participated. This project spans many different kinds of work and defies easy description. Contacts: Kesav Wable, kesav.wable@brooklaw.edu, and Christopher Soverow, christopher.soverow@brooklaw.edu Uncontested Divorce Preparation for Battered Women Following a training session by a Sanctuary for Families attorney, students are assigned a client and then conduct interviews, prepare divorce petitions, file the court papers, and conduct follow-up meetings with the client. Men and women volunteers are welcome. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Legal Association for Women Participating Organizations: Sanctuary for Families and the Volunteer Lawyer's Project (VLP) of the Brooklyn Bar Association When and for How Long: The training is offered in the fall in order to allow sufficient time for students to complete all the necessary steps during the school year. Students need an average of about 10 hours for each petition. The entire project is flexible and can be done at the student and client's convenience. Training: One 2-hour training in the fall at BLS, usually during October (domestic violence awareness month). Students who are unable to attend the BLS training may attend other fall training sessions at other local law schools. Getting Involved: Look for flyers and emails in the fall for the training date. Contact: Ashley Slobodkin,ashley.slobodkin@brooklaw.edu Unemployment Action Center (UAC) The Unemployment Action Center is a non-profit, student-run organization devoted to the representation of unemployment insurance claimants in New York City. Volunteers advise those trying to recover or enroll in unemployment insurance, prepare for and conduct hearings (including direct and cross examinations of claimants and witnesses where appropriate) before administrative judges at the New York Department of Labor. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Brooklyn Law School Unemployment Action Center Participating Organizations: The citywide Unemployment Action Center (see website above) When and for How Long: Students may volunteer on an ad hoc basis anytime during the school year following training, or may choose to apply for the full time summer internship position. Student volunteers may take as many or as few cases as they like. Training: A half day training which includes mock hearings is given in both the fall and the spring. Participants are provided with a manual at the training program which guides new advocates through the intake, interview, and representation process. Getting Involved: Go to a meeting, take the training, get an ID and password to the website, and volunteer for clients described on the site. This project may be of special interest to those interested in labor and employment, workers' rights, direct legal services, due process issues, and learning to prepare for and handle hearings. Contact: Jonathan Antone, jonathan.antone@brooklaw.edu Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) VITA volunteers assist low wage workers to file their income taxes and ensure that they get credits to which they are entitled, avoid predatory tax preparers' practices, and get prompt refunds and other financial services. Last year BLS students provided a critical boost to low-income working families in our neighborhood putting over $300,000 back into the community through this program. On Campus Sponsoring Organization: Brooklyn Law School Tax Law Association Participating Organizations: Internal Revenue Service and FoodChange When and for How Long: From the December training until April 15th. Student volunteers see their clients at a convenient location here in Brooklyn as their schedules permit, but a minimum number of hours are encouraged. Clinics are generally weeknights and weekends. Training: One or two days in December at the school or at any number of other sites (one day of the training may be taken online) in which students learn basic tax law and the official IRS e-filing system. Upon successful completion of the training students become certified tax preparers. Getting Involved: Join the Brooklyn Law School Tax Law Association or contact Bryan Levine. This may be of interest to anyone interested in tax law, client contact, economic justice, financial services and assisting underserved families. Contact: Bryan Levine, bryan.levine@brooklaw.edu
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