The Memphis legal community is blessed with an abundance of attorneys who are interested and willing to donate their time and talents to those less fortunate and contact us to offer their help. Working with the Memphis Bar Association Access to Justice Committee, a group of attorneys, social services agencies, paralegals, law students and judges, we have been fortunate to be able to take advantage of these offers in a variety of different ways. The Pro Bono Projects of Memphis Area Legal Services consist of a variety of volunteer opportunities for attorneys, paralegals and law students. Click on any of the links below for a description of the Pro Bono Projects initiative.
To sign up for any of these initiatives, lawyers, please click here for an enrollment form, and paralegals or law students click here for an enrollment form. Fax the completed and signed form to (901) 843-6789. If you have questions or for more information contact Linda Warren Seely or Shirley Rose Blayde.
Click here to download the Resource Manual for Clinics.
Volunteer Lawyers Project
The longest running private attorney involvement program at MALS, the Volunteer Lawyers Project is a basic pro bono program in which attorneys enroll and agree to take a certain number of a certain type of cases. They are contacted periodically by phone, fax or e-mail and asked to accept a case for direct representation. Click here to enroll.
In-house Limited Service
Attorneys come to MALS’ offices to provide advice and counsel assistance to clients. Sometimes attorneys provide advice, sometimes they provide additional screening and on other times, they are asked to actually refer a case to another attorney to handle pro bono. Paralegals and law students can also provide some of these services. Click here to enroll.
Attorney of the Day Project
Volunteer attorneys meet with litigants at the Courthouse one afternoon a week to provide help and make referrals. Every Thursday starting at 1:30 PM in room 134 of the Shelby County Courthouse, volunteer attorneys meet with walk-in clients and provide advice, counsel, referrals and sometimes extended services if needed. Paralegals and students provide supportive services at this clinic. Click here to enroll.
Saturday Legal Clinic
An outgrowth of the Attorney of the Day Project, these clinics are held the second Saturday of every month at the Ben Hooks Main Library at 3030 Poplar Avenue starting at 9:30 AM until 12:30 PM. The clinics provide the opportunity for members of the community to meet with an attorney to discuss their legal issues. The volunteer attorneys provide advice, counsel, referrals and sometimes extended services if needed. Paralegal volunteers from the Memphis Paralegal Association and law students have been key contributors to the success of the operation of this project. Click here to enroll.
Atticus Finch Referral Network
Specifically designed to facilitate faster referrals using technology, through this network law firms designate an attorney in-house to serve a ‘gatekeeper’ function. Every other week an e-mail is sent to the gatekeeper with a listing of available cases. The gatekeeper then forwards the request on to firm members who can select a case for pro bono representation. Click here to enroll.
Advance Directives Panel
A panel of volunteers provide legal assistance by drafting advance directives and last wills and testaments for individuals, including those with terminal illnesses or who are elderly. Law students and paralegals provide technical support to the attorneys and assist with the execution of the documents. Click here to enroll.
Bankruptcy Alternatives and Pro Bono Project
This project is a collaborative initiated in response to the increasing use of the bankruptcy courts as a number one choice for resolving consumer and debt related problems. The concept is to create a series of community education programs for members of the public to attend; to set aside some time at each program for clients to talk to volunteers about their individual problems; and for those in need of additional assistance, to provide an appropriate referral to either a pro bono consumer or bankruptcy attorney. Click here to enroll.
Conservatorship Panel
A group of attorneys provide representation to persons seeking to become conservator on behalf of a family member or friend. Click here to enroll.
Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative
Designed to create a partnership between corporate counsel and MALS , a variety of services including those outlined above, are provided to non-for-profit agencies.
Click here to enroll.
Póngase en contacto con nosotros en el (901) 523-8822.
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The staff and board of Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. (MALS) are especially excited this year, as we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary October 14th from 5 to 7pm at the new University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, located at 1 North Front Street in downtown Memphis.
Information contained on this website is provided for its informational content and for educational purposes only. Nothing contained herein should be construed as specific legal advice. Individuals desiring legal advice about a specific situation should consult an attorney licensed in the area having jurisdiction.