We are excited to let you all know about an exciting new pro bono partnership between the Jefferson County District Court and the Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers Program.

There have always been a significant number of pro se, or self-represented, litigants in the district court. Hard economic times, however, have led to a dramatic increase in the number of people who cannot afford to pay an attorney to represent them in court proceedings that may have a substantial impact in their lives. Self-represented litigants are disadvantaged by the lack of representation, and they create a burden on the judges and court personnel. Without an attorney to represent them, these litigants often make repeated incorrect and unnecessary filings and have a difficult time navigating the system to properly prosecute or defend their cases.

The Attorney of the Day program will help to relieve these burdens on litigants and the court system by offering self-represented litigants the opportunity to meet with an attorney at the courthouse to receive short term advice and assistance. Volunteer attorneys will staff the clinic on Monday mornings. Services offered to clinic participants will include assistance with properly completing forms and advice about matters such as procedure, appropriate filings, what evidence the litigant must present to support his case, and more. Attorneys will not be expected to provide any representation to clinic participants outside of the advice clinic itself.

Volunteers will also be provided with a manual, and BVLP staff will be available at the clinic to assist clinic participants who may qualify for BVLP assistance.

This is a great opportunity for lawyers to provide much needed pro bono services and help to relieve a burden on judges and court personnel, without taking on any long term obligation. This project also offers a terrific opportunity for younger attorneys to gain valuable experience in court procedures and client counseling.

Please consider signing up to help with this innovative project. You can work at the clinic once or as often as you like. Contact Elizabeth Clark, at eclark@vlpbirmingham.org, to volunteer.