Justice Innovation
East Bay Stand Down is a project offered in California in which at-risk and homeless military veterans can access all kinds of service help over four days. It includes medical and dental care, housing, driver’s licenses, court services, hygiene, and more.
Project Homeless Connect, run by the Colorado Lawyers Committee brings together coordinated services on a single day for homeless individuals. Legal volunteers help people connect to legal assistance, as well as public benefits, medical care, housing, employment, and other needed services.
There is also a “Homeless Court” to allow people to resolve outstanding warrants if they have violated Denver’s City Ordinance.
The Colorado Lawyers Committee has assembled a list of community clinics that are around the state, to get legal resources to people.
There are “Legal Nights” in Denver and Greeley. At these nights, lawyers come to resource centers and churches in the community, with volunteer interpreters. They provide legal info and referrals to people who need help.
Some of the issues include consumer problems, immigration, housing, employment, and family law.
University of Georgia has a Street Law program. It holds sessions to train people, especially young people, on legal topics. Much of their work is focused on how young people can understand the criminal justice system and the social services system, to be smart when navigating them.
Street Law UGA conducts community outreach geared primarily towards familiarizing youth about prevalent legal concerns and basic rights. Our student-run organization is designed to educate youth about practical law topics — “Street Law” — and inspire youth to seek legal careers. Street Law UGA focuses on educating minority and low income youth and inspiring youth from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the legal profession.
They have law students get off campus and into community placements. The goal is to have continuing relationships, to build a channel of expertise and relevant resources.
The law students are placed in middle and high schools, youth detention centers, independent living programs, and church youth groups.
The topics covered included the rights of an arrestee, the foster care system, dealing with a criminal record, what a crime is, etc.
The Providence Public Library hosts lawyers who will answer questions for free.
It’s called “Lawyers in the Library.” No appointments are needed, and the series is free.
It’s run with a Presentation from a lawyer, and then an opportunity with people to speak to that lawyer about the presented topic.
For example, they’ve had presentations and open questions on Supplemental Security Income, disability benefit, tenant rights, employee rights, and special education.
There is one session every few months, and are held in evening hours.
The Chicago Law & Education Foundation has a high school law clinic that works on providing services, particularly around immigration law, to students in need.
The Chicago Law and Education Foundation was started in 2010 by teacher/attorney Dennis Kass. CLEF launched a pilot clinic at Little Village Lawndale High School during the 2009-2010 school year. The legal clinic was once a week after school. High school students helped operate the clinic, serving as initial intake, providing translation services for Spanish speaking clients, and working on the various initiatives. CLEF was formed to expand that legal program to other schools the following school year.
King County provides a Neighborhood Legal Clinics program to give free, limited legal help to people in Washington State. There are specialty clinics, like around family, debt, elder law, civil rights, etc. They don’t offer help on criminal issues.
The purpose of the Neighborhood Legal Clinics program (NLC) is to offer free, limited legal advice and referrals to King County residents and Washington State residents with legal issues in King County who might otherwise have no access to the legal system. It is a goal of the program to make the clinics accessible regardless of barriers such as income, education, language or disability.
WHO WE SERVE
King County residents or people with legal issues in King County
WHAT WE DO
Provide FREE 30 minute consultations with an attorney at 34 locations across King County. Attorneys determine whether the client has a legal problem, suggest possible options, and provide appropriate referrals. These attorneys will not represent you in court. NLC attorneys may not have expertise in all areas of the law, but they will make every attempt to answer questions accurately.
Attorneys will
- Provide legal advice for civil legal issues
- Help answering papers, summons and requests
- Provide referral and resource information
Special Requests
- Accommodations for persons with disabilities provided when requested
- Interpreter services available when requested for all clinics
Referrals
- Clients who need further legal assistance may be referred to Volunteer Legal Services, the Lawyer Referral Service and other legal or law-related agencies in the community.
- NLC is a limited legal service and should not be considered a substitute for representation.
WE DO NOT
- Give advice on criminal legal issues
- Provide representation in court
- Help those living outside King County (unless they have a legal issue within King County)
- Give legal advice over the phone
In Iowa, there are two programs that sponsor Free Legal Aid for low-income residents at libraries. The Iowa State Bar Public Service Project and the Iowa Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers Project offer statewide services through the library.
People can come to the library on certain dates to consult with lawyers without charge.
The San Mateo County Law Library has a Lawyer in the Library Program. Once a month, the Redwood City-based library has a live lawyer present for 20 minute free consultations. You must sign up before hand.
The San Mateo County Law Library participates in the San Mateo County Public Library System’s ‘Lawyer in the Library’ Program. Every 4th Wednesday of the month between 6pm and 8pm, a lawyer is available in the Law Library for a free, one-on-one, 20 minute consultation with you on the legal issue covered that month. You must sign up by calling the Law Library at (650)363-4913.
For a listing of upcoming dates and topics, please see our home page.
The public libraries of Belmont (650.591.8286), Foster City (650.574.4892), Millbrae (650.697.7607), Redwood City (650.780.7058, press ‘0’), Pacifica Sharp Park (650.355.5196), and East Palo Alto (650.321.7712) also participate in this program. If you do not see your issue listed above in our offerings, you may wish to call these other libraries to see if they are offering a lawyer who can help you on your specific topic.
Also, Bay Area Legal Aid offers a Legal Advice Line for low-income Bay Area residents Monday and Thursday, 9:30am to 3pm and Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30am to 1pm. Please call (800) 551.5554.
In addition to the Lawyer consults, there are also occasional Clinics available at the library and surrounding service-providers.
The Law Library offers a free Consumer Law Clinic sponsored by Bay Area Legal Aid every Monday starting at 10AM. RSVP for your spot by calling (650) 358.0745. The clinic meets in the Law Library Conference room.
The San Mateo County Superior Court offers a Small Claims Advisor to assist with Small Claims every Wednesday starting at 3:30 in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of 400 County Center, Redwood City, California. Call (650) 363.4303 for more information.
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office offers a Filing for Divorce Workshop every Tuesday starting at 1:15pm in the Family Law Facilitator’s Office, 2nd floor, 400 County Center, Redwood City, California. Call (650) 363.4590 for more information.
Legal Aid Society offers a Landlord/Tenant Clinicevery Monday starting at 8:30am in the Family Law Facilitator’s Office, 2nd floor, 400 County Center, Redwood City, California.
Bay Area Legal Aid offers a Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting at 9am and Wednesday afternoons starting at 1:30pm at their office located at 1048 El Camino Real, Ste. A in Redwood City, California. Call (650) 358.0745 for more information.
The Child Custody Clinic meets every Tuesday 1:15pm to 3pm, Wednesday 9am to 11am, and Thursday (Spanish only) 1:15 to 3pm in the Family Law Facilitator’s Office, 2nd floor, 400 County Center, Redwood City, California. Call (866) 901.3121 for more information.
What if there were physical locations in communities, in which people with life problems could drop in and get help?
There would be lawyers there, but there could also be medical, mental health, social service, immigration, and all kinds of other specialists.
It would be a center for holistic care, that you could understand your problem’s possible solutions in many dimensions at once.
Ideally, the tone of the place would be different from most social, government, or legal service centers. The place could be friendly, nice, human-scale, anti-bureaucratic, and warm.