For every financially eligible client Legal Aid Society helps, we must turn away another eligible client due to insufficient staff and resources. Volunteer attorneys are crucial to Legal Aid's ability to extend help to as many clients as possible.

The Volunteer Lawyer Program (VLP) of the Legal Aid Society offers volunteer attorneys the following opportunities to donate their time and expertise. If you have interest or expertise in an area beyond those noted below, please contact our program so we may discuss how your skills can help low-income clients.

The Volunteer Lawyer Program offers several ways in which
volunteers can participate:

HELP AN INDIVIDUAL CLIENT

The backbone of the Volunteer Lawyer Program is the direct client services our volunteer lawyers offer individual clients. We screen clients for financial eligibility and match them with volunteers based on the volunteer's indicated areas of expertise or interest. To see a list of the counties in our service area and a list of the major practice areas in which our clients need assistance, click here.  To view a list of pro bono opportunities, click here.

Staff a Clinic

In some areas, because so many of our clients have such similar issues and are able to proceed on their own in court if provided some initial assistance, Legal Aid Society has developed a number of clinics. 

At these clinics, several clients are scheduled to attend and with the help of volunteer attorneys and law students, clients are provided with one-on-one assistance. Although the format of each may vary, these clinics are an opportunity for a volunteer to provide focused assistance during a scheduled time block. 

Be a mentor

When you serve as a mentor, you help a new attorney or one who is new to a practice area gain confidence and skills. The mentor is not responsible for representing the client. Instead, he or she lends expertise to helping another attorney practice a case.  Mentoring opportunities are available for all major practice areas in which our clients need assistance.

Volunteers must be attorneys licensed to practice and in good standing with the Kentucky Bar Association. Volunteers must notify the Volunteer Lawyer Program of any changes in their status with the KBA.

Attorneys who register with the Volunteer Lawyer Program and who are in good standing with the KBA are covered under the VLP malpractice insurance policy for the VLP cases they accept.

In order to participate with the Volunteer Lawyer Program, volunteers agree to:

• Represent clients referred by VLP pro bono and in accordance with the Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct;

• Respond to periodic case update requests from VLP staff;

• Notify VLP upon completion of a matter, including the outcome, the number of hours spent and the attorney’s normal hourly fee;

• Notify VLP of any changes in the attorney’s contact information or areas of interest.

join our volunteer program

Click here to join our Volunteer Lawyer Program. When you join, you will be covered under our malpractice insurance policy for every pro bono case. If you have additional questions, contact us at 502-614-3123 or volunteer@laslou.org.


Check out this video from the Access to Justice Commission about the importance of volunteering for your Legal Aid Society.