Each October, we celebrate “pro bono” work. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “In Latin, pro bono publico means ‘for the public good;’ in English we generally shorten the phrase to pro bono.” Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) is in the midst of its Harvest Peer-to-Peer Campaign, in which they are asking individuals to engage in pro bono efforts by giving their time or treasure.
Giving Time
Attorney Volunteers - Pro Bono Cases
In terms of time, HVL is actively trying to train and recruit as many attorneys as possible who would like to take on a guardianship case or other client matter. To this end, HVL is offering a free, virtual CLE where individuals will be walked through all the legal steps of handling a pro bono guardianship matter on Friday, October 21, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will be asked to take one pro bono guardianship case in lieu of paying a fee for the course. You can click here to register for the course, and individuals can search and find a pro bono case to take by visiting this website.
Attorney Volunteers – Legal Advice Line
HVL is also seeking volunteer attorneys to assist with providing legal advice and information to HVL applicants over the phone. The HVL Friday Virtual Advice Clinic runs most Fridays from 1-5 p.m.
Volunteer attorneys will be assigned up to seven (7) callers and paired with an HVL Staff Attorney for clinic mentorship. Volunteer attorneys will have language line access, online legal resources, and be able to discuss the cases with their HVL mentor attorney prior to or during the clinic.
If interested, you can sign up here to volunteer.
Non-Attorney Volunteers – Event Assistance
HVL is also seeking non-attorney volunteers, including notaries, interpreters, witnesses, and coordinators to help with small events they have planned. If interested, you can email Probono@hvlp.org to sign-up to assist with clinics and smaller scale Will-A-Thons.
Giving Treasure
In addition to volunteering time, HVL provides options for contributing monetarily to support its work in the following ways:
The Houston Bar Association and Houston Bar Foundation will host the 73rd Annual Harvest Celebration at River Oaks Country Club on November 14. All net proceeds from the Harvest Celebration benefit HVL and the people HVL serves by providing essential, pro bono legal services. People can contribute to the Harvest Celebration by underwriting the event or purchasing tickets to attend.
There is also a Peer-to-Peer Campaign donation option, information on which is available by clicking here.