Pro Bono Service Through VLP

The VLP offers remote, in-person, limited representation, and full representation options for attorneys interested in pro bono work. There are many ways to get involved with the VLP, but only 2 basic requirements: (1) a license to practice law and (2) a desire to use that license to help those in need. No matter where you work or live, or your level of experience, practice area, or available time, we have a way you can make a difference.  As described below, VLP supports our volunteer attorneys by providing training, mentoring, shadowing opportunities, and malpractice insurance coverage while working on cases through the VLP. Volunteer attorneys also receive invitations to register for our free Continuing Legal Education programs. 

If you would like to sign up to help or learn more, please fill out our Volunteer Attorney Interest Form, and a VLP staff member will contact you. We also invite you to register for the special attorneys-only part of our website, where we provide additional information and resources for our attorney volunteers. 

We provide below answers to common questions prospective attorney volunteers may have. 

Reasons to Provide Pro Bono Service:

  • The Maine bar has a long and robust tradition of providing pro bono service to the community, and there are many good reasons to volunteer your time. Foremost among them is the acute unmet need for legal help. Scores of Mainers who need an attorney cannot afford to hire one, and Maine’s legal aid programs cannot assist everyone who contacts them for help. Research confirms that people have far better outcomes in their cases when they have legal help. This is where Maine lawyers step up, and VLP is there to help them give their time and talent where it is needed. The positive impact of your work will go beyond the clients you help. By providing legal advice and other assistance to VLP clients, you will help our courts and those who use them. Our legal system works best when people have the benefit of help from a qualified attorney.  

    Our attorney volunteers also tell us about the rewards of volunteering through VLP. It can be a way to learn about another area of the law, connect with your community, and meet new people. Volunteers find it gratifying to use their legal knowledge to help others, and our clients deeply appreciate the help they receive from VLP volunteers.  

  • VLP serves clients with household incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level and limited assets. VLP staff and volunteers screen all potential clients for eligibility under our guidelines. We place special emphasis on helping survivors of domestic violence, residents of Maine’s underserved rural communities, and others who face barriers to seeking legal help. 

  • Yes, under Maine Bar Rule 4(f), retired attorneys who elect emeritus status may do pro bono work through VLP. Attorneys who practice under this rule do not need to pay the annual registration fee or meet the CLE requirements. This option is a terrific way to use your years of experience to make a difference in the lives of those who need your help. We provide malpractice coverage, and you don’t need to maintain a law office. You can learn new areas of the law through volunteering and attending any of our free CLE programs. Retired attorneys can also help VLP by mentoring other attorney volunteers, answering questions posted on Free Legal Answers Maine (FLAME), and assisting with lawyer-to-lawyer referrals. VLP staff can assist you with the application process. For more information, please complete a Volunteer Attorney Interest Form.

  • Yes, under Rule 11C of the Maine Bar Admission Rules, a member in good standing of the bar of any other state or of the District of Columbia who becomes employed by or engages in pro bono services as a volunteer with a legal services organization based in Maine that is funded from state, federal or recognized charitable sources and provides legal assistance to indigents in civil matters, may be permitted to practice before the courts of Maine subject to the provisions of Rule 11C. The VLP can assist you with the application process. For more information, please complete a Volunteer Attorney Interest Form.   

  • Many of our volunteer attorneys provide legal help in areas of the law that are not within their usual practice. For example, we have in-house counsel volunteers who represent clients with protection from abuse or small claims matters. VLP provides free continuing legal education programs, mentoring, and other support to help volunteer attorneys learn about the areas of the law addressed in our programs.   

  • No, not for cases you take through VLP. VLP provides malpractice insurance coverage for attorneys while assisting clients through our programs. 

Who Can Volunteer Through the VLP:

VLP’s Extensive Volunteer Opportunities for Attorneys:

  • VLP offers opportunities for attorneys to provide representation regarding probate matters, Social Security benefit appeals, unemployment insurance appeals, bankruptcy, family law, property, and miscellaneous civil matters. Volunteer attorneys who accept these referrals generally conduct an initial consultation for cases to determine whether to accept the client for full pro bono representation.  

  • Attorneys may volunteer through the following limited representation programs offered by VLP: 

    • Family Law Helpline 

    • Family Law Courthouse Assistance Project (CHAP) 

    • Protection From Abuse (PFA)/Domestic Violence Panel 

    • Small Claims Clinic 

    • Bankruptcy Clinic 

    • Workers’ Rights Legal Clinic 

    • Maine Homeless Legal Project  

    • ABA Free Legal Answers Maine 

  • As noted above, there are many ways to help clients that do not involve representing people in court. You can help through our limited representation programs, Free Legal Answers Maine, or assist clients with non-litigation matters, such as preparing end-of-life documents.  

  • No. VLP attorneys choose how frequently they volunteer through VLP. Volunteering even once or twice a year helps! You could sign up for a regular slot or answer our call for help when we are shorthanded. You can increase or decrease your involvement based on your availability. 

  • Yes, as noted above, attorneys may provide limited representation through VLP’s clinics. In fact, most of the legal help our volunteers provide is through our varied limited representation programs, including our virtual clinics and courthouse assistance programs. For our virtual clinics, volunteer lawyers meet with clients screened by the VLP for eligibility to receive pro bono services over the phone or by Zoom for consultations (usually 30 to 45 minutes). In our courthouse projects, attorneys assist clients only for that court event. For most VLP Limited Representation clinics, no advance preparation or follow-up with clients is required from attorneys. We ask only that the attorney complete a brief outcomes form.  

    Attorneys may also assist clients through our Free Legal Answers online portal. Attorneys provide advice to clients regarding various civil matters through the website www.maine.freelegalanswers.org. Attorneys sign up to volunteer by completing the registration process on the website and then choosing questions to answer. Legal advice is anonymous and limited representation.  

    Finally, attorneys also help the VLP by volunteering for our “Lawyer to Lawyer” Program to help refer cases for full representation with training, and by assisting us with CLE programs, mentoring, and projects such as drafting client education materials on different topics, as described below. 

  • Lawyer-to-Lawyer Referrals – Attorney volunteers can help us refer full representation cases to attorneys who have indicated an interest in helping clients with certain kinds of legal matters. 

    Mentoring – Experienced attorneys may volunteer as mentors to help less experienced attorneys or attorneys assisting with cases outside of their practice areas.   

    Training – Attorneys may volunteer to assist VLP with developing and providing training/CLE programs for prospective and current volunteers. 

How the VLP Supports Its Attorney Volunteers:

  • Intake and Screening – VLP staff handles the entire intake process, including screening potential clients for eligibility and appropriate legal questions, explaining how our program works, obtaining informed consent for limited representation, and gathering basic information about and documents related to the client’s legal matter.   

    Malpractice Coverage – Our attorney volunteers are covered under our malpractice insurance policy when volunteering through any of our programs. This benefit is especially useful for our retired volunteers or others not actively engaged in law practice. 

    Training and Mentoring – VLP volunteer attorneys are eligible to receive free training and CLE credit in many areas of law, including family law, protection from abuse matters, small claims, and employment law. Volunteers can shadow more experienced volunteers in any of our clinics and programs, and mentoring by VLP staff and volunteers is also available. 

    Online Resources for Volunteer Attorneys – Attorneys can create an account here on our website to gain access to our library of materials including videos and other resources designed specifically for our volunteers. To create your account, please click here. 

    Special Program for New Members of the Maine Bar – VLP offers the Justice Andrew M. Mead Fellowship for Pro Bono Service to attorneys who recently have been admitted to the Maine Bar.  The Mead Fellowship is a unique opportunity for lawyers new to the Maine Bar to develop their legal knowledge and professional skills through education and training sessions presented by members of the judiciary and prominent practitioners. The Fellowship provides an opportunity to gain practical experience while providing pro bono services on civil matters and building a professional network.  For more information, complete the Volunteer Attorney Interest Form.

  • VLP has an attorney expense reimbursement policy to assist with costs associated with full representation matters. Most VLP clients are eligible for fee waivers, and VLP can reimburse attorneys for most non-waivable fees and costs.  

  • Volunteer attorneys cannot ask for or receive fees from VLP clients. However, fees from the opposing party may be available in certain types of matters. VLP staff can provide additional information about our attorney’s fees policy. 

  • Language access for clients is very important to the VLP. Through the intake process, VLP obtains information about a client’s language access needs. We schedule and pay for interpreters for our clinics, and we assist attorneys providing full representation with obtaining interpreter services through our vendors. 

How to Learn More or Get Started with VLP:

Please complete the simple Volunteer Attorney Interest Form to express your interest. We will be in touch with you. We also encourage you to register here to gain access to the special attorneys-only part of our website, where we provide additional information and resources for our attorney volunteers. 

(If you are looking for help with a legal matter, please click here for information on how to request help.) 

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to working with you to improve access to justice for Mainers in need of legal help! 

Justice Andrew M. Mead Fellowship for Pro Bono Service

The Mead Fellowship is a unique opportunity for lawyers new to the Maine Bar to help address the access to justice gap while developing legal and professional skills and gaining exposure in the legal community.  Fellows will be invited to unique workshops with members of the judiciary and experienced practitioners on various civil legal topics, including practicing in Maine courts, ethical and practical considerations when providing pro bono services, and others.  Fellows will also have the opportunity to further develop and apply their professional and legal skills by volunteering for various civil legal services programs with the support of experienced mentors.