Our Programs

Lawyer on the Line 

Lawyer on the Line, our advice and brief service program, gives private attorneys an easy and rewarding ​way to provide basic legal advice and brief service to Legal Aid clients. Lawyer on the Line volunteers serve thousands of clients every year who have nowhere else to turn.  

How it works 

• Volunteers provide one-hour telephone interviews with Legal Aid clients. Calls can be made from the volunteer’s home or office.  
• Clients are pre-screened for eligibility and need advice or brief service. No litigation or court appearances required.  

• Training opportunities, malpractice insurance and mentoring support services are available.  

Details 

• Time commitment: 1+ hour per case 
• Volunteer from: Your office or home 
• Services provided: Legal advice and brief service 

• Practice area(s): Eviction (wills and powers of attorney coming soon)

Full-scope Service

Our full-scope service program is a statewide program for volunteers who want to provide extended representation and litigation services to Legal Aid clients. Volunteers receive training for CLE credit, mentoring support throughout the duration of a case, and malpractice insurance. You can choose how often to take cases.  

Details

• Time commitment: 1+ hour per case
• Volunteer from: Your office or home
• Services provided: Legal advice and brief services
• Practice area(s): Eviction

Field Office Volunteer

Whether you’re a retired attorney who misses being in the thick of it or a new attorney who wants some front-line experience, our Field Office Volunteer program lets volunteers handle cases and serve clients from one of our many field offices.  

Details

• Time commitment: 10+ hours per week 
• Volunteer from: Legal Aid office 
• Services provided: Case support. Full-scope service, including litigation and court appearances.  
• Practice area(s): General poverty law 

Self-help Clinics 

We host virtual self-help legal clinics monthly throughout the state via Zoom and Facebook Live. At the clinics, participants receive relevant legal documents and watch a live presentation from volunteer attorneys. Following the presentation, volunteer attorneys answer general questions from the audience moderated by a Legal Aid coordinator. No legal advice is given during the webinars.

Details

• Time commitment: 2+ hours per clinic 
• Volunteer from: Your home or office 
• Services provided: Legal education presentation. Answer general legal questions (not legal advice). 
• Practice areas: Child custody and visitation. Criminal record expunction. Wills and Powers of Attorney. Medicaid rights. Simple divorce. Social Security Disability. Tenant rights. 

Training 

Want to help but don’t have experience in our practice areas? No problem!

We have a wide variety of live CLEs and other training materials—guidebooks, slide decks, sample forms, etc.—to get you up to speed fast. 

Support 

Our pro bono volunteers are never alone. Throughout your service you can call on our dedicated attorneys and pro bono coordinators for help with all aspects of your case.

Worried about malpractice? Don’t be! All volunteers are covered by our malpractice insurance so you can serve with confidence. 

Recognition 

We love our volunteers—and it shows!

From volunteer spotlights on our website, listings in our annual reports, shout outs on social media, nominations for awards and more, we make sure the whole world knows about our awesome volunteers. 

Emeritus (Inactive) 

Whether you’re retired or simply out of practice, you can still make a difference as a pro bono volunteer by petitioning for Emeritus Pro Bono Status. Emeritus volunteers do not have to pay membership dues to the NC State Bar and do not need CLE credits. Learn more about Emeritus Pro Bono Status from our friends at the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center. 

Pro Hac Vice (Out of State) 

In Latin, the phrase pro hac vice translates roughly to “for this occasion.” In legalese, it usually refers to lawyers who have been granted authority to handle a case in a state in which they are unlicensed. For Legal Aid of North Carolina, it means geography is no barrier to pro bono service. Learn more about out-of-state pro bono status from our friends at the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center.

Paralegals 

You don’t need to be a lawyer to do pro bono. From providing critical case support to advocating for clients in administrative settings, paralegal volunteers are invaluable partners in our mission for justice. If you are a paralegal who wants to make a big difference for North Carolinians in need, fill out our interest form and we’ll get in touch. 

Other Professionals 

Medical professionals, accountants, investigators, real-estate agents and more. The breadth and depth of services we provide to our clients means that we often need to call on the expertise of others. If you are not a legal professional but still want to join our mission for justice, fill out our interest form and we’ll get in touch.