Our Pro Bono Program offers a range of opportunities for you to make a direct impact on the lives of low-income children, families, and seniors.
You can provide them with meaningful access to justice.

Join a community of volunteers that have provided critical legal help since our founding in 1959. For more than 60 years low-income residents have looked to us for legal help.

Pro Bono Application

Private Attorneys
Corporate Attorneys
Paralegals
Emeritus Attorneys
Law Students

We are here to assist, train, and provide you with a panel of experts who will mentor you as you help others. Whether you take a settlement conference, a trial, or engage in limited scope representation; and whether you work individually or with a team. You can assist clients who would otherwise be without legal representation in areas of life’s basic needs.

Pro Bono Opportunities

Direct Referrals

Legal Aid provides pro bono opportunities for taking cases in the areas of consumer law, elder physical and financial abuse and other poverty law issues that present through our on-going work with clients.

Domestic Violence Collaborative

You will provide limited scope representation at permanent restraining order hearings to low-income survivors of domestic violence so that they can remain out of abusive relationships and establish safe and stable lives. Issues may include child custody, visitation, and support. Legal Aid partners with Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA) and Bay Area Legal Aid to train pro bono attorneys and mentor them through their cases. (MCLE approved training)

Guardianship Project

You will assist grandparents, relatives, and other caregivers who are seeking to become a court-ordered guardian. In San Mateo County alone, as many as 10,000 children are being raised by someone other than their own parents. Pro bono attorneys provide full representation through the legal guardianship process. This process includes preparing the petition for the client, advising them through the investigation and appearing with them at their hearing.

The time-commitment for these cases is typically 25-30 hours. Some of the clients will be Spanish speaking and we have a translator who can work with your attorneys. (MCLE approved training)

Housing Clinics

Remote Unlawful Detainer Clinic: Due to the expiration of the COVID-19 housing protections, there has been a sharp increase in unlawful detainer (eviction) cases. By participating in this clinic, you will assist Legal Aid SMC’s housing staff in working with clients to ensure their responses to these lawsuits are filed on time. This is an asynchronous, limited scope clinic where pro bonos meet with clients remotely and assist them in completing the proper Judicial Council forms in order to avoid a default eviction.

The time commitment is 2-3 hours per client, and the turn-around time is 2-3 days. Pro bonos will accept clients as their schedule permits. Legal Aid SMC provides training, materials, and mentorship with a member of our housing staff.

*In-Person Housing Clinic: You may choose to provide limited scope representation, participate in a settlement conference or go to trial by volunteering at one of three weekly clinics in Redwood City and Daly City, which together serve about 100 clients each month. This is a great opportunity to assist pro per litigants, assist in the preparation of motions, attend settlement conferences or, in certain circumstances participate in trial. You will offer legal counseling, advice and/or representation to tenants who are having problems with their landlords that relate to:

Disputes over the condition of the premises
Illegal acts by landlords
Evictions

You will also be helping tenants whose legal issues arise from living in homes involved in the foreclosure process. (MCLE approved training)

*In-person Housing Clinic is currently on hiatus due to the pandemic. We plan to re-open the clinics in future.

Conservatorship Project

When a severely developmentally disabled child turns 18, the child retains all the legal rights of an adult even though he or she is cognitively unable to exercise those rights.

This project assists families with obtaining a conservatorship when their child turns 18 in order to make important decisions for their disabled child, including fundamental decisions such as where the child will live or what medical treatment they will receive.

The time-commitment for these cases is typically 25-30 hours. Some of the clients will be Spanish speaking and we have a translator who can work with your attorneys. (MCLE approved training)

Emerging Issue/Needs Clinics and Programs:

Legal Aid provides pro bono opportunities in all areas of needs for our clients. Oftentimes, new issues will arise in the community, or our partners will reach out to us with concerns which will create an opportunity for new clinics or programs. Past programs include Advance Health Care Directive Preparation, Medicare Share of Costs Clinics, and DACA application preparation.

Remember you have something unique to offer those seeking equal access to justice. On behalf of the thousands in need of legal services, thank you. To help determine the most appropriate opportunity, please submit a completed Pro Bono Interest Form Application with a copy of your resume to: Stephanie Bilinski, Director of Pro Bono at sbilinski@legalaidsmc.org.