LSNF Covers the following legal matters in our service area
Family Law | Housing | Public Benefits | Consumer Debt and Contracts | Employment | Education | Health Care issues
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Work remotely now and help with clients facing legal issues due to COVID-19!
Volunteer Opportunities
Advice Only
Helpline (in person – Tallahassee only):
Attorneys in Leon County and surrounding areas can visit the LSNF Tallahassee Location. Use our equipment in our office to access our case database and makes calls out to clients for advice on pro se civil matters. When: Flexible scheduling weekly Monday-Thursday between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where: Volunteer Office at Legal Services of North Florida, 2119 Delta Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32303 Commitment: At least 3 closed cases per month. The average active volunteer advises between 5-10 clients during a regular 3-hour session.Helpline from Home (Remote Volunteering):
Volunteers for this opportunity use our Legal Sever database remotely with restricted access to view LSNF advice-only cases, then advise clients on a secure phone line of their choice regarding pro se civil matters and disputes. When: At the volunteer's discretion Where: During volunteer time, attorneys should be in an environment conducive to maintaining client confidentiality in addition to using a secure internet connection and phone line to review cases and make calls. Commitment: At least 3 closed cases per month. The average active volunteer advises between 5-10 clients during a regular 3-hour session.Clinics
Senior Center Legal Clinic (Leon County): Facilitate legal advice appointments with the help of Senior Center staff for elderly clients on Wednesdays at the Tallahassee Senior Center. When: Wednesdays from approximately 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Where: 1st floor office space at Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32303 Time Commitment: Two clinics per quarter. Thursday Evening Clinic (Leon County): LSNF offers a legal advice clinic one the 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings where volunteer attorneys conduct client interviews and provide legal advice to clients on a variety of civil matters. When: 1st Thursdays each month/ 3rd Thursdays bi-monthly from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Where: Legal Services of North Florida, 2119 Delta Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32303 Time Commitment: Two clinics per quarter. Advanced Directives Clinic (Leon County): Every 3rd Wednesday of the month with the help of a volunteer attorney, LSNF Tallahassee assists three elderly clients with the completion of Last Will and Testaments, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Designation of Healthcare Surrogates. When: Every 3rd Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Where: Conference room at Legal Services of North Florida, 2119 Delta Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32303 Time Commitment: One or more Advanced Directives Clinic during a semester Senior Center Legal Clinic (Wakulla County): Facilitate legal advice appointments with the help of Senior Center staff for elderly clients on Wednesdays at the Wakulla County Senior Center. When: Wednesdays from approximately 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Where: TBA Time Commitment: One clinic per quarter.Take a Case!
Volunteer attorneys can take cases on referral from LSNF by sign up at the link below and being sure to select "yes" for the "take a case" option. You will receive periodic emails regarding cases where matters may be too complicated for clients to handle pro se or in which a judge has mandated that a client have an attorney. LSNF staff will assist by providing resources such as help guide and law students. Lawyers may also make client referrals to LSNF and request the eligible cases be assigned to them for full representation. You may also review cases available to take on for full representation by visiting the Pro Bono Matters website.
Resource Development
Legal Advocacy Manual Research and Editing Team (LSNF): LSNF maintains a Legal Advocacy Manual which volunteer attorneys use to assist clients with legal issues. The manual details Florida law and necessary forms related to legal issues including family law, landlord/tenant law, final directives, probate, guardianship, and more. When: Ongoing Where: Remote access via Microsoft OneDrive Time Commitment: We ask that attorneys commit to the completion of one full section at a time. Sections have been updated in part with the help of FSU Law students.FAQs About Volunteering
- Malpractice insurance when representing clients eligible for and referred by LSNF
- Advice volunteers are not obligated to take on cases for clients.
- You can receive guidance, mentoring, staff support, and helpful resources to assist you with offering advice or taking on a case for full representation.
- All volunteers should be willing to learn to use simple functions in an online case management database program on the computer.
- Collect and keep attorney fees from adverse party when appropriate.
- Limited litigation fund support.
LSNF's Private Attorney Involvement (PAI) Plan
The Private Attorney Involvement (PAI) Program, also known as the PAI Volunteer Lawyers Project, was initiated as a pilot project in 1982 by the Volunteer Lawyers Project of The Florida Bar.
LSNF works closely with private attorneys throughout our 16-county service area to give legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable individuals. Through the Private Attorney Involvement Program (PAI), this cooperation takes several forms including coordinating volunteer attorney resources of time and/or financial support. Please feel free to review and comment about LSNF's Private Attorney Involvement (PAI) Plan.
Attorneys may also become members of the Partners in Service Program. The “Partners” Program gives government or private attorneys and law firms an opportunity to contribute money annually to support LSNF activities while fulfilling The Florida Bar’s Pro Bono Rule.