Date Posted

August 6, 2014

Job Title

Pro Bono Attorney

Time Requirements

Ongoing

Job Description

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is seeking pro bono attorneys to provide civil legal representation to underserved parties residing in Westchester and surrounding counties in the lower Hudson Valley. Areas of practice include family, consumer, landlord/tenant, elder, real property/foreclosure, wills, veterans, disability, bankruptcy and unemployment.

An attorney accepting a pro bono case assignment must be a member in good standing of the New York State Bar, and will be eligible to receive one CLE credit for every two hours (120 minutes) spent working on the case. Malpractice insurance is provided by LSHV.

Contact

Marian Genio, Esq., Pro Bono Director

914-949-1305 x166; mgenio@lshv.org

website: lshv.org

Organization Profile

LEGAL SERVICES OF THE HUDSON VALLEY

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is a not-for-profit law firm, originally incorporated in 1967. Headquartered in White Plains with offices throughout the Hudson Valley, LSHV has helped hundreds of thousands of people since its inception more than 45 years ago. We are the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services to all seven counties of the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley (Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan), and the recipient of Legal Services Corporation funding for the region. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley provides a full array of services to low income individuals and families to meet their needs for the “essentials of life.”

LSHV attorneys participate in the pro bono coordinator’s network, pro bono local action committees, pro bono panels and bar association committees. The pro bono unit sponsors CLE programs. We offer pro se clinics in the areas of Chapter 7 bankruptcy and uncontested divorce. In addition, we are involved in community outreach events.

The cases referred through our pro bono unit may include family, consumer, landlord/tenant, elder, wills, disability, veterans, bankruptcy, real property/foreclosure and unemployment.  The program does not handle criminal cases or traffic violations.

Date Posted

August 11, 2014

Job Title

Pro Bono Attorney

Time Requirements

Ongoing

Job Description

Pro Bono Partnership provides free business and transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations.  We offer law firm and in-house attorneys business legal matters for our nonprofit clients in areas such as contracts; employment and labor; real estate; corporate structure and governance; regulatory compliance; environmental; intellectual property; privacy; mergers; nonprofit issues; and more.

Our non-litigation matters are discrete, manageable, and generally not time-sensitive.  The Partnership provides malpractice insurance for its volunteers, who also receive support, services and model documents from our experienced staff attorneys. We have no minimum requirement for pro bono hours, and attorneys can receive CLE credits for qualifying projects. NY Registered In-House Counsel may also take on pro bono projects.

Contact

Maurice Segall, Esq., Program Director

914-328-0674 x323; msegall@probonopartner.org

website: www.probonopartner.org

Organization Profile

PRO BONO PARTNERSHIP

Pro Bono Partnership provides business and transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations serving the disadvantaged or enhancing the quality of life in neighborhoods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Substantially leveraging the impact of its in-house legal staff, the Partnership annually recruits and mobilizes hundreds of attorneys from major corporations and law firms to donate their time and expertise on behalf of its nonprofit clients, enhancing their ability to improve conditions in their communities.

Since its inception in 1997 in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, the Partnership has expanded throughout the lower Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Connecticut and has supervised and supported the pro bono efforts of nearly 3,000 volunteer lawyers, who have worked on more than 6,900 separate legal matters for more than 1,750 nonprofit clients.

Date Posted

September 10, 2014

Job Title

Pro Bono Attorney, Project Protect

Time Requirements

Training: 2 hour CLE, followed by ongoing short webinars and mentoring.  The first training was recorded on September 17, 2014 and will available for review.  Others trainings will follow.

Attorneys will be responsible for handling one family law case for the pendency of the proceeding, including drafting petitions and attending all court proceedings.

Job Description

Project Protect is a new pro bono project in Westchester responding to the humanitarian crisis facing immigrant youth who have crossed the US border fleeing violence in their home countries. 

The Pace Community Law Practice, in collaboration with Westchester Hispanic Coalition, Greenberg Traurig LLP, and the WCBA is seeking attorneys to represent immigrant children in family court guardianship or custody proceedings, which may make them eligible for immigration relief.

Attorneys will be trained and supervised by experienced attorneys.

Contact

Stephanie Ramos, sramos2@law.pace.edu; 
914.422.4075

Organization Profile

PACE COMMUNITY LAW PRACTICE (PCLP)

The PCLP’s mission is to meet the urgent need for quality, affordable legal services in Westchester County and throughout the Hudson Valley.  Launched in September 2012, the PCLP is a first-of-its-kind legal residency and incubator program where recent Law School graduates serve as Fellows who intensively learn legal practice under the supervision of experienced attorneys, provide high quality legal services, and gain the tools to create solo and small practices. The PCLP works collaboratively with many community-based organizations that serve Westchester’s immigrant communities, and has expertise in addressing the legal needs of immigrant children.

Date Posted

September 10, 2014

Job Title

Volunteer Attorneys, Paralegals, and Law Students

Time Requirements

Ongoing

Job Description

The Westchester County Human Rights Commission is seeking volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students to assist Commission staff with legal research, legal writing, and file maintenance.

Contact

Joshua C. Levin | Director of Investigations and Education

914.995.7714; jcl2@westchestergov.com

Organization Profile

WESTCHESTER COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

The Westchester County Human Rights Commission seeks to promote dignity and respect by advancing justice, equality and education for the diverse community of Westchester.

The commission strives to:

*   eliminate discrimination locally and globally through legal, educational and legislative advocacy;

*   investigate, uncover and prosecute standard as well as systemic violations of the Human Rights Law and Fair Housing Law;

*   enable and support legislation designed to protect individuals from unfair and/or unequal treatment and seek the repeal of those laws that create barriers to fair and equal treatment;

*   provide education and advocacy that fosters racial and ethnic harmony among diverse individuals and groups; and

*      promote and support the furtherance of Human Rights in employment, housing, public accommodation, schools, credit and any other area.

Date Posted

September 30, 2014

Job Title

Pro Bono Attorney
Immigration Practice

Time Requirements

Ongoing

Job Description

My Sisters’ Place is seeking pro bono attorneys to assist its Immigration Unit prepare Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Self-petitions and Battered Spouse Waivers for its clients. 

Battered immigrants who need to rely on their U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident spouses to petition for legal immigration status are vulnerable to abuse. Quite often, these victims know little about their rights in the U.S. and their abusive spouses control them with threats of deportation.  Immigrant women with U.S. citizen children are particularly vulnerable to this abuse and intimidation.

A battered immigrant married to a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident can obtain legal immigration status by filing a VAWA Self-petition or Battered Spouse Waiver.  This requires approximately 40 hours of work over the course of 3-6 months.  Based on the information gathered from the initial intake at My Sisters’ Place as well as the attorneys’ interviews with the client, the attorney drafts the client’s supporting affidavit, which is the most important aspect of the case.  In this affidavit, the client provides a detailed account of the courtship, marriage, abuse and escape from the batterer. 

The attorney also gathers additional evidence for the application, including police reports regarding the abuse, criminal and family court orders of protection, and affidavits from friends and family members. 

The Managing Attorney of the Pro Bono Project at My Sisters’ Place reviews and revises drafts of client affidavits and completed immigration forms and other materials necessary to the case.  This one-on-one supervision ensures both a rewarding experience for the volunteer attorney and high-quality work product.

An attorney accepting a case assignment must be a member in good standing of the NYS Bar.

Contact

Anne O’Grady, Esq., Managing Attorney, Pro Bono Project

914-683-1333, extension 112, 
ao’grady@mspny.org

Date Posted

September 30, 2014

Job Title

Pro Bono Attorney
Family Law Practice

Time Requirements

Ongoing

Job Description

My Sisters’ Place is seeking pro bono attorneys to assist its Family Law Unit with motion practice in Westchester Family Court, mainly with child support cases.

Domestic violence victims can seek child support from their abusers in their local family court. Using a formula set forth in New York State’s Child Support Standards Act, victims may also demonstrate the need for childcare expenses, extracurricular activities and unreimbursed medical expenses. 

Pro bono attorneys will work with the client to complete the required Financial Disclosure Affidavit and develop the case, including evaluating the evidence, conducting discovery and representing the victim at the child support hearings.    

An attorney accepting a case assignment must be a member in good standing of the New York State Bar.

Contact

Anne O’Grady, Esq., Managing Attorney, Pro Bono Project
914-683-1333, extension 112, ao’grady@mspny.org

Organization Profile

My Sisters’ Place

My Sisters’ Place provides legal services to victims of domestic violence, trafficking, stalking and sexual assault in Westchester County.  The Family Law Unit assists domestic violence victims in family law matters such as orders of protection, custody, visitation, child support, and appeals.  My Sisters’ Place also provides limited services in the area of divorce -- My Sisters’ Place runs a pro se uncontested divorce clinic.  The Immigration Unit assists immigrant victims of domestic violence, trafficking, stalking and sexual assault with Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Self-petitions, Battered Spouse Waivers, U-Visas, T-Visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, public benefits and other immigration matters.