Category: Pro Bono / Community Service

Are you interested in pursuing a career in Public Interest Law? Are the reasons you decided to go to law school mostly about wanting to help people? Consider interning with Community Legal Aid’s Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP).

Community Legal Aid is the sole provider of legal assistance to low income individuals in an eight county area. The Volunteer Legal Services Program is a program within Community Legal Aid that works very closely with private attorneys providing them with a number of volunteer opportunities. Students volunteering for the VLSP will work in several areas of law: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Simple Contract law, Simple Estate Planning, and Family law.

For students, our program offers a variety of learning opportunities in the following areas; client interviews, client meetings, document review, case management, determining the correct address for service and notice, drafting simple estate planning documents, drafting advice letters, completing public record searches.

NOTE: Students are required to volunteer a minimum of five (5) hours. Students who can volunteer twice a week (5-8 hours total per week) for the entire semester will be provided with more substantive training along with an opportunity to attend a 341 Hearing, sit in on a bankruptcy petition signing, attend a call day at U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and work with a private attorney to execute Simple Estate Planning Documents.
If interested, please contact VLSP Staff Attorney, Carla Boyle, at cboyle@communitylegalaid.org

The ACLU and ACLU of Ohio are looking for volunteers to conduct surveys at the early voting site in Summit County. We are currently involved in litigation that has resulted in the restoration of a week-long same-day registration period, two weeks of evening hours, and a second Sunday of early voting in 2014 – times that are disproportionately relied on by low-income and minority communities. In order to ensure that these opportunities continue to be available in Ohio, we have formulated a brief survey to collect information from individuals who rely on these early voting times. We are hoping to find volunteers willing to undertake 2 hour shifts (and possibly three hour shits on Friday, October 3 and Monday, October 6 from 11-2). We are currently planning on placing individuals at early voting sites across the state on:

 Friday, October 3, 2014 from 11-2
 Monday, October 6, 2014 from 11-2 and 5-9
 Sunday, October 26, 2014 during the hours of operation (at this time, we are assuming that the hours of operation will be 1-5, but a directive has yet to be issued)
 Sunday, November 2, 2014 from 1-5

The first three times and days listed may be subject to change depending on what happens with the State’s appeal.

If you would like to assist in this effort or have any questions, please contact Naila Awan at nawan@acluohio.org or 614-586-1972.

The Summit County Juvenile Court Family Resource Center is looking for volunteer tutors to provide homework help in a one on one and small group setting. Tutoring sessions will occur on Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00pm at the Summit County Juvenile Court. Tutoring is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. Please contact Sarah Norman at 330-643-2942 or snorman@cpcourt.summitoh.net if you are interested. You will earn community service of limited means hours!

Are you graduating in December? Have you completed your pro bono and community services hours required to graduate? If you need a listing of your reported hours, please contact Alisa Benedict O’Brien at ab139@uakron.edu ASAP.
All hours must be reported by November 1, 2014.
Additionally, do not forget to register for the non-credit Pro Bono course. You must register by September 8th. This is part of the graduation requirement. Thank you.