Federal Government Pro Bono Week

Each year, the Office for Access to Justice's Federal Government Pro Bono Program presents Federal Government Pro Bono Week, a week of events and volunteer opportunities to celebrate and promote pro bono work by federal government attorneys and legal staff.

The most recent Federal Government Pro Bono Week was held October 19-26, 2024 (see schedule below).

Events | Trainings & Clinic Opportunities

2024 Events

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Pro Bono in Your Pajamas: Free Legal Answers

• Federal government volunteers learn about volunteering for Free Legal Answers, an online pro bono portal where clients submit questions and attorneys can respond with brief advice. Attorneys can work solo or as a group to research and draft the responses. The system is anonymous and asynchronous, so volunteers can volunteer anytime and anywhere. Attorneys can choose which questions to answer, allowing them to avoid conflicts of interest. Free Legal Answers is available in AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KY, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MS, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY, and the Virgin Islands.

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Being A Part of Something Bigger: How Pro Bono Work Improves Our Legal System and Makes Real Change

• The impact of pro bono legal assistance goes beyond helping an individual client and impacts our legal system on many levels. 

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Friday, October 25, 2024

Pro Bono Cases 101

• Everything federal government volunteers want to know about taking a pro bono case! The DOJ Pro Bono Program Manager will discuss how to find a case, the rules that apply to government volunteers, bar membership issues, resources to support volunteers, and practical tips for handling a case.

2024 Trainings & Clinic Opportunities

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Saturday Law Program Clinic

• Federal government volunteers provide advice to clients regarding landlord-tenant issues.

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Advice & Referral Clinic

• Federal government volunteers provide advice and referrals to clients in civil legal matters governed by D.C. or federal law in the areas of debt collection, consumer law, employment law, family law, health law, housing law, personal injury, and probate.

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Monday, October 21, 2024

Justice & Diversity Center Tenant Advocacy Project Training & Clinic

• Federal government volunteers learn to write demand letters and negotiate with landlords on behalf of clients with housing conditions concerns. Training attendees must commit to accepting a client within one month of training.

South Coastal County Legal Services Estate Planning Training Workshop

• Federal government volunteers who complete this training will be ready to participate in South Coastal County Legal Services’ Estate Planning Clinic, where they can help low-income senior clients by preparing their essential estate planning documents.

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Tuesday, October 22, 2024

The Veterans Pro Bono Consortium Legal Advice & Referral Clinic for Women

• Federal government volunteers provide advice and referrals to DMV-area women veterans on issues related to family law, consumer law, employment law, or housing law.

Metro Volunteers Lawyers Wills Clinic

• Federal government volunteers prepare financial and medical powers of attorney, living wills, declarations of disposition and last remains, and simple wills for seniors with low incomes using a plug-and-play software solution.

Inner City Law Center Eviction Defense Clinic

• Federal government volunteers draft answers using a toolkit to help tenants facing eviction.

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Workers’ Rights Clinic

• Federal government volunteers provide advice and referrals to clients on unemployment law matters.

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Thursday, October 24, 2024

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Estate Planning Training

• Federal government volunteers receive training on how to draft pro bono wills and powers of attorney for low-income D.C. residents. Participants will commit to assisting one client within two months of the training.

The Veterans Pro Bono Consortium Legal Advice & Referral Clinic for Veterans

• Federal government volunteers provide advice and referrals to DMV-area veterans on issues related to family law, consumer law, employment law, or housing law.

Volunteer Lawyers Project Housing Answer & Discovery Clinic

• Federal government volunteers advise low-income clients with housing issues who have been served with a Notice to Quit and Summons and Complaint and help them prepare Answer and Discovery forms using a computer tool that was created for pro se litigants.

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Saturday, October 26, 2024

Georgia’s Legal Services Program Wills Clinic

• Federal government volunteers prepare wills, advance directives for healthcare, and financial powers of attorney for clients with low incomes.