Do Pro Bono | Individual Volunteers

Pro Bono Overview

Pro bono legal services are integral to the City Bar Justice Center’s mission of increasing access to justice for New Yorkers struggling with poverty and systemic socioeconomic barriers.  CBJC meets the demands of its dozen civil practice areas by leveraging the resources of the New York City legal community – particularly pro bono services by lawyers from law firms, corporate legal departments, and other legal institutions, and among those in solo practice or who have taken emeritus status.  Pro bono attorneys get results – they secure meaningful relief for our clients, helping us provide nearly $20 million worth of free legal services each year to those in need.

 

The City Bar Justice Center Pro Bono Experience

Individual pro bono volunteers with the City Bar Justice Center participate across the range of our dozen civil practice areas and assist with everything from conducting intake and providing brief services at legal clinics, to taking on discrete individual matters or special projects.  Pro bono volunteers are assigned to matters that have been vetted by CBJC personnel, and receive all requisite substantive training to complete their assigned work.  The attorneys who direct CBJC’s projects remain available throughout the duration of an assignment for mentoring, troubleshooting, and strategic advice to ensure that volunteers’ work proceeds as smoothly as possible.

 

Get Involved

If you are a law firm or in-house attorney, first check with your pro bono chair or supervisor to determine whether your office has a pre-existing pro bono partnership with the City Bar Justice Center.  If so, seek out opportunities to collaborate with us by working through that relationship manager.  If not, encourage them to establish a pro bono partnership with us, reach out to us directly to learn more, or complete our individual volunteer inquiry form.

If you work at another legal institution (for example, law school or government), operate your own practice, or are retired, between jobs, or looking to complete the pro bono requirement for bar admission, please complete our individual volunteer inquiry form.

In all instances, the subject matter and duration of pro bono placements are subject to City Bar Justice Center client demands and supervisory resources.  Accordingly, we cannot guarantee placement in all instances, and please note that initial preference in matching prospective volunteers with available work is given to current New York City Bar Association members and City Bar Justice Center supporters.  If we cannot accommodate your availability or interests, please review the additional volunteering resources listed below.

 

Pro Bono CLE Credit at the City Bar Justice Center

Visit our Pro Bono CLE page to learn how you can get CLE credit for volunteering with us.

 

Other Resources for Individual Volunteers

Visit the NYC Pro Bono Center for tools and resources to support civil pro bono work, its volunteer page for cases and other opportunities, or calendar of pro bono-related events, CLEs, and other items of professional interest.

“I’ve had the privilege of serving many clients in need through the CBJC, and have been amazed by CBJC’s ability to affect change both at the individual family level and the city-wide system level.  Working with homeless women and their children, in particular, who have no other access to legal services and little hope, has been incredibly rewarding.”
– Brittany Bacon, Hunton & Williams LLP

 

“New to the City Bar, my experience has been entirely positive. I joined for the opportunity to work on pro bono projects, and everyone has been welcoming and supportive.”
– Lee Chabin, City Bar Member

Please complete and submit the information requested below to register your interest in City Bar Justice Center pro bono opportunities, and we will contact you if a potential match becomes available. Please note that we cannot guarantee a pro bono placement in all instances, and that initial preference in matching prospective volunteers with available work is given to current New York City Bar Association members and City Bar Justice Center supporters. For additional volunteering ideas, please see the links above.

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    • Are you a low-income New Yorker in need of legal assistance? Click here.

      Do you work for a law firm or corporation that is looking to do pro bono? Click here.