Volunteer Opportunity: Lawyer on the Line – NCBA Paralegal Program

By Rachel Royal and Annette Phelps

The NCBA Paralegal Division, particularly Pro Bono Co-Chair, Annette Phelps, has been working on a project called Lawyer on the Line – Paralegal Program for quite some time, and it is finally ready to be launched! The program is a partnership between Legal Aid of North Carolina and the NCBA Paralegal Division.

While the majority of the work on the project will be handled by paralegals, attorney supervision is still required, because, as you are aware, paralegals cannot give legal advice to clients. To give you an idea of the limited workload required by attorneys within this project, attorneys will be permitted to supervise up to ten (10) advice and/or brief service cases at a time, but they will have the option of supervising fewer, depending on their workload capacity. Additionally, all attorney participation qualifies for Pro Bono hours encouraged by the North Carolina State Bar.

The Paralegal Division is excited to be involved in this project, as it allows paralegals to use their skills, experience, and education to give back to the community in ways they have not been permitted to previously.

For attorneys who are interested in mentoring and teaching others and helping paralegals become the best professional they can be, this project is for you. This is also a great way for attorneys to assist with more pro bono cases while doing less work.

For paralegals who want to use their education and experience to give back to their communities remotely, this project is for you.

Highlights of this program are: free CLE’s through Legal Aid of NC, free malpractice insurance (through Legal Aid for all active volunteers and through NCBA if a member), and all work and training can be done remotely.

This project will begin with a 2-3 month pilot program for which approximately 20 paralegals and 4-10 attorneys will be needed. The initial areas of law that will be referred during the pilot program are Government Benefits, Bankruptcy, and Landlord/Tenant.

To volunteer for this program, complete the Google form linked below (be sure to click on the form for your profession). Email any questions to NCBA Paralegal Division Pro Bono Co-Chair, Rachel Royal, at [email protected].

For additional information before completing the volunteer form, please click here to view a slideshow with detailed information about how the project works.

Click here for sign-up forms:
Paralegal Volunteer Form
Attorney Volunteer Form