While the Saturday Lawyer Program does conduct a substantive training annually during the Atlanta Bar Association’s Pro Bono March Madness, which volunteers are encouraged to attend, no training is required in order to start volunteering with the program. The program is set up to train and support volunteers during and after their chosen Saturday(s). 

If you volunteer on a Saturday, you will have the benefit of succinct training materials sent to you beforehand covering our process, primers on the areas of law, and legal questionnaires to guide the interview. On Saturday, a short orientation and training is conducted by an AVLF Staff Attorney, additional legal resources on common legal issues are available, and there is constant access to an AVLF and ALAS Staff Attorney during the Saturday appointments to assist and answer any questions on our process or the law, including assisting with any aspects of the interview as needed. Support staff for copying and scanning of any client documents – and free coffee and pastries – are also provided! 

If you accept a case under the Saturday Lawyer Program, AVLF will further support you with coverage by our malpractice carrier, on-going access to our Staff Attorneys, on-call access to our legal resources – extensive research and training materials, sample letters and pleadings – and access to experts in the field should more complicated issues arise. In addition – as needed – we are able to provide volunteers with access to free or discounted investigative services, court-reporting services, experienced process servers, professional mediators, and expert forensic accountant support. Finally, through the duration of your case, AVLF staff are available to fully support your work, from providing a soundboard for legal strategy and advice for dealing with clients or opposing parties, to office space for client meetings or depositions and other support as needed. We work to make volunteering as easy as possible.