As we work our way through (another) tumultuous year, one bright spot is the continued opportunity to provide pro bono services virtually – from your home, office, or wherever you may be. These opportunities make it even easier to give a few minutes of your time and expertise to those who need it most.

In recognition of our section’s strong tradition of pro bono and community service work (and of course, National Pro Bono Week), we highlight several current and upcoming pro bono opportunities below.

Happy Pro Bono Week!

NC LEAP

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are also central to many of our communities. The pandemic has been rough on small businesses, and NC LEAP (Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program) is your chance to help. Though NC LEAP, volunteer attorneys can provide pro bono advice to small businesses through webinars and clinics. For more information on this great opportunity, click here.

NC Free Legal Answers Initiative

The NC Free Legal Answers program continues to be a great pro bono opportunity – and again one that is available from the comfort of your own home. Through this program, you can volunteer to offer your legal expertise virtually and remotely 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

How does it work? Qualifying North Carolina residents post their civil legal questions to the website. Attorney volunteers will be able to log in to select questions to answer and provide legal information and advice – all anonymously. The “client” will then be emailed when their question receives a response. Where more in-depth legal representation is needed, information about referrals and other legal services projects will be made available. You can volunteer now by clicking here.

Wills for Heroes

Wills for Heroes is the long-running estate planning program that provides free legal assistance to first responders and their families. As part of this program, volunteer attorneys can assist with drafting simple wills, health care power of attorney and financial power of attorney documents for these front-line workers – some of the true heroes throughout this pandemic. To check out the details of this program, click here.

4ALL Statewide Day of Service

One day each year, volunteer attorneys across the state come together to field and answer legal questions from fellow North Carolinians.

Last year’s 4ALL was a big success – volunteers answered over 9,500 calls (whoa) and assisted people across the state with questions related to housing, family law, estate planning, bankruptcy, business and tax matters, immigration and many other legal needs.

Can we beat that this year? Stay tuned for details – and in the meantime, find more information about this opportunity here.

October 29, 2021/by Litigation