National Domestic Violence Pro Bono Directory
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
- Organization: ABA Commission on Domestic Violence
- Source: Pennsylvania
In celebration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence is pleased to announce the release of the National Domestic Violence Pro Bono Directory.
The National Domestic Violence Pro Bono Directory is a comprehensive resource for volunteer lawyers seeking to assist victims of violence. Developed with the generous support of the Avon Foundation, Inc., and continuing support from Verizon Wireless, the Directory includes a national, searchable database of programs providing pro bono legal services to victims of domestic violence: the Pro Bono Guide.
This online directory includes the types of cases these programs accept - e.g., immigration, housing, protection order, family law; the scope of representation; the frequency and content of trainings for pro bono lawyers; and the on-going supervision and/or support provided to pro bono attorneys.
Volunteers and others can also find a comprehensive national and local training calendar, searchable by location, date and topic, and links to resources for attorneys on multiple topics related to domestic violence representation. Additionally, local and national listserves can be created on an on-demand basis, to provide a quick and easy means of communication among programs and volunteers.
It is hoped is that this vital directory will also identify gaps in the provision of pro bono legal services, link existing programs to address these gaps, help identify funding and support for additional programs, and identify opportunities for collaboration among pro bono programs to pool their resources.
The Commission offers its thanks to the over 300 organizations serving the legal needs of victims who have already contributed their time to making this effort a success.
To continue the project of bringing qualified lawyers to clients in need, please consider joining the site, adding your organization, uploading training opportunities and resources, and spreading the word to pro bono projects and lawyers you know.
JOIN THE SITE AS AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER
Individual members receive updates via listserv, a monthly training calendar, and permission to add and edit content to the site. (e.g. trainings, library items, etc.)
ADD YOUR ORGANZIATION TO THE PRO BONO GUIDE
Organizations in the Pro Bono Guide are actively seeking volunteer lawyers to assist with domestic violence cases, and have the capacity to recruit, place, supervise, mentor and train lawyers (or to refer for appropriate supervision and training) to safely and effectively assist domestic violence victim-clients.
