It’s always refreshing to note when the legal profession is able to rise above the jokes that rightfully pervade the mindset of the public in so many cases. Unless you can practically prove that you live in a cardboard box, you’re probably not going to receive free legal services in many areas of the country, and in so many states it seems that justice is reserved for only those who can afford its luxury. Virginia, on the other hand, has been a leader in the provision and acquisition of pro bono work to those who might not otherwise be able to retain legal assistance. The Virginia Bar Association (VBA) was recognized with the prestigious Harrison Award in as early as 1995 because of its establishment of the much needed Pro Bono Hotline for public access to free legal help.
Yes, the assistance is there for Virginia residents, but the information is, unfortunately, still more difficult to find online than it should be since most of the websites are dedicated to attorneys who want to contribute their free services, rather than to the public searching for pro bono attorneys. To find a pro bono attorney in Virginia, a good place to start might be with a telephone call to the Virginia Poverty Law Center located in the state’s capital city. The phone number is 804 - 782 – 9430.
The website for the Commission on Law and Aging, sponsored by the VBA, also lists several toll free phone numbers under the heading of Senior Legal Hotlines, noting that these hotlines are not only specifically for seniors. (http://www.abanet.org/aging/resources/states/Virginia.html)
If you happen to live in the Shenandoah and Roanoke Valley area of the state, Blue Ridge
Legal Services has a great network of pro bono attorneys dedicated to the public interest. (http://www.lawhelp.org/program/1583/RTF1.cfm?pagename=Pro%20Bono%20Programs)
The Young Lawyers Conference is committed to pro bono work in Virginia, and this link (http://www.vsb.org/docs/valawyermagazine/vl0409_ylc.pdf) provides interesting information with phone numbers and e-mail addresses interspersed throughout the essay that may give access to free legal assistance in cases involving domestic violence, natural disaster, estate planning and wills, and civil suits involving discrimination. There is also a statewide program giving state residents the ability to get free legal advice over the telephone. This service is hosted regionally, and also serves as a referral agency for residents to better access free legal services.
