Pro Bono & Volunteer Opportunities
Law and social work student interns work alongside our legal and social work staff during the summer and throughout the academic year, receiving invaluable experience while providing our staff with critical assistance as we advocate for our young clients. In addition, many of New York's top law firms and individual litigators have generously provided LFC with pro bono legal assistance on our appeals and our class action cases. Lawyers For Children is also a sought-after host organization for legal fellowship opportunities provided by law schools, law firms, fellowship organizations and foundations. LFC also serves as an accredited field placement site for graduate students working towards a Master's Degree in Social Work.
Legal Pro Bono
As a direct services office, we have found that the most effective way to use the pro bono services of attorneys is to have them join our appellate panel. This involves submitting a resume and writing sample. Once these documents are received and evaluated, we contact attorneys who have the requisite experience to be part of our program and offer them the opportunity to work on appeals as the need arises.
There are times when pro bono assistance has been provided by law firms in order to support LFC in class action or other major litigation. Lawyers For Children maintains a relationship with firms that indicate that they are interested in being contacted when these opportunities arise.
From time to time, we have volunteer attorneys work in our office on a full-time basis. This is usually the case when someone wishes to make a career change and is interested in gaining experience before entering this field of practice. Under these circumstances, we ask that attorneys make a commitment to work at LFC on a full-time basis for a minimum of 12 months. This schedule enables attorneys to gain enough experience to carry a caseload and at the same time ensures that our young clients are able to maintain regular contact with their attorney.
Non-Legal/Social Work
LFC employs full-time social workers who work alongside our staff attorneys to advocate for our young clients. Volunteers who are college students, graduate students or who have other relevant experience can help social workers monitor their cases and/or work on special projects.
Clerical
As is the case in many non-profits, LFC support staff is often in need of assistance. This may include opportunities to assist with filing as well as data entry.
If you would like to offer your professional services, contact gmampel@lawyersforchildren.org.