For forty years, the Saturday Lawyer Program – AVLF’s oldest and largest program – has provided low-income Atlantans with access to volunteer attorneys and offered volunteer attorneys a chance to do meaningful pro bono work. Those opportunities continue, and we are constantly improving the program and volunteer supports to enhance the experience for all involved.
Who Can Participate?
Any attorney licensed to practice law in Georgia. No particular substantive expertise or litigation experience is necessary; most of our volunteers begin with no experience with our types of cases (click here for the training and support we provide). AVLF also has opportunities for a limited number of paralegals through the Saturday Paralegal Program to provide administrative support to the weekend clinic.
What Do Volunteers Do?
As a volunteer attorney, you can support the Saturday Lawyer Program in one or more ways:
- Volunteer on Saturday morning to interview potential clients, assess their claims, and determine which cases, if any, you want to accept for full representation
- Accept Saturday Lawyer cases for full representation, including those for which you conducted the initial interview and assessment on Saturday morning, or
- Consult with AVLF staff attorneys and AVLF volunteer attorneys about issues in which you have particular expertise.
Cases accepted through this program focus on promoting safe and habitable housing and ensuring return of security deposits, resolving other landlord-tenant disputes, such as illegal evictions or damage to tenants’ property caused by landlords, defending clients against wrongful debt lawsuits and garnishments and stopping harassment and unfair collection practices by debt collectors related to landlord-tenant issues. Volunteers who accept cases receive a high level of training and support on their specific case from AVLF staff.
How?
If you are interested in volunteering, you can sign up here. We’ll send you detailed information about how things run, what to expect, and how to prepare.
No prior training is required; we train and support you before, during, and after your chosen Saturday(s).
If you need help, please contact Susan Leonard.
