Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunities in the Tenth Judicial Circuit
Through the below pro bono opportunities, you can provide critically needed legal services to individuals and families in need in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. We hope you will get involved and also help spread the word!
The following is a list of pro bono opportunities available in the Tenth Circuit through the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI):
Self-Represented Litigant Help Desk
Volunteers at the Self-Represented Litigant Help Desks meet with self-represented litigants for 30-minute appointments to help them understand and navigate the legal process, fill out forms and answer questions. Two-hour volunteer shifts are currently available at the Peoria and Tazewell County Courthouses. Paralegals and law students are also needed, in addition to attorneys, to do intake.
Tenth Judicial Circuit Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panel
The Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panel provides a referral source for Prairie State Legal Services to send potential clients who have been denied service due to a conflict of interest. A potential client is only eligible for referral to the program if they have been denied services by Prairie State due to a conflict and the potential client has been referred to the program. Cases are currently being placed in Marshall, Peoria, Stark and Tazewell Counties.
Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network
Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN) provides civil legal services across Illinois to veterans, active duty military and their spouses and dependents. As an IL-AFLAN member, PILI refers pro bono matters to volunteer attorneys in the 101 counties outside of Cook County.
Illinois Free Legal Answers
A project of the American Bar Association, Free Legal Answers was created to increase access to advice and information about non-criminal legal matters for those who cannot afford legal assistance. It is a secure website where low-income Illinois residents can ask a lawyer for help with a legal issue. Volunteer lawyers then log onto the site and provide assistance. It is a virtual walk-in legal clinic administered by PILI.
The following is a list of pro bono opportunities available in the Tenth Circuit through the Prairie State Legal Services:
Prairie State Volunteer Lawyer Project
Many opportunities exist for volunteers to assist Prairie State clients through direct representation, counsel and advice or negotiations, document preparation, and clinic settings. Due to limited resources, Prairie State attorneys cannot assist everyone who is eligible for their services, so they rely on volunteer attorneys to help many of their clients who are in need of legal assistance.
The Immigration Project
The Immigration Project provides immigration legal services in central and southern Illinois through counsel and advice, clinics and application support services. There are several ways to volunteer including: taking on a case with supervision, one day commitments for workshops and guardianship cases for children released from ICE detention throughout the state.
Learn more about the Tenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee »