Lawyers

VLP pro bono programs are designed to be convenient, rewarding, and impactful for all Nebraska lawyers, regardless of practice experience, practice areas, or place of employment. In addition to fulfilling your professional responsibility to do pro bono work, there are professional benefits to volunteering with VLP.

• Malpractice insurance for pro bono services.
• Hands-on training and experience in divorce, custody, child and spousal support, modification of orders, consumer, probate, wills and powers of attorney, landlord-tenant, protection orders and guardianship.
• Mentoring by VLP staff and volunteer lawyers.
• Develop professional profile and practice skills.
• Opportunities to attend free or low-cost CLE courses and training.
• Recognition in NSBA publications.
• Networking with other lawyers.

Represent a Client

Low-income Nebraskans who need legal representation often lack the resources to hire a lawyer. VLP receives applications for pro bono assistance from legal aid and legal service providers. Volunteers provide full and limited scope representation in bankruptcy, consumer debt, family law, small claims, wills and powers of attorney. Click Pro Bono Cases for more information.

Pro Bono on the Go

NE Free Legal Answers allows you to do pro bono online, anytime and anywhere you have Internet access―no set schedules, long training, or travel. This program allows all Nebraska lawyers to give limited scope advice on civil law matters to qualified users who post questions on the Website. Your name is not disclosed to the user and you pick the questions you want to answer. Click Pro Bono Online to register and see how easy it is to do pro bono on the go.

Help Self-Represented Person at a Courthouse

Volunteers meet with self-represented persons at courthouses in Buffalo, Douglas, Hall, Kimball, Madison and Scotts Bluff counties to answer basic questions about the court and select civil legal issues, to assist with court forms and forms comprehension, and to provide resources and information about free or low cost legal service providers in the community. Click Self Help Center for information about days, times, and contact information.

Walk-in Advice Clinics

One-day advice clinics are pro bono projects that bring lawyers into communities where low-income persons work and live. Volunteers meet with walk-in visitors at various community locations to give basic information about the law, distribute available court forms, assist with forms comprehension, and to provide resources and information about free or low cost legal service providers in the community. Click Advice Clinics to view and register for an upcoming event.

Other Support

VLP needs volunteers willing to mentor attorneys new to the practice or to a practice area, to give CLE’s on poverty law topics, prepare and update brochures and flyers on legal topics, to help with recruiting volunteers for pro bono cases and other VLP programs. Click Other Help for more information or contact VLP at (402) 475-7091 or [email protected]