Pro Bono Opportunities
Legal
Autism Legislation Project (ALP)
You do not have to be in the Chicago area to participate in the ALP as a legal intern. Law students are invited to participate in a pro bono opportunity to research state, national, and international legislation relating to autism, the fastest growing developmental disability in the nation. Working under the direction of an experienced Chicago attorney, students will collaboratively research and assist in other aspects of the group's activities. Tele-conferences will be held on a regular basis to discuss ongoing research and new developments with the ALP. Additionally, interns will assist in developing and evaluating strategies for the advancement of project objectives. Participating students will be required to devote a minimum of five (5) hours per week conducting research and preparing written documentation. Interested students should submit a resume to director [at] autismlegislation.org for consideration.
For more information visit Autism Legislation Project web site.
Contact: Laura Hoffman, ALP Team Leader, lchoffman [at] alumni.avemarialaw.edu
CASA of Shawnee County, Inc.
The mission of CASA of Shawnee County, Inc., is to advocate for the best interest of children and youth involved in the court system. The purpose of this advocacy is to provide a voice for these children in an effort to have informed and expedient decisions made about their futures.
Contact: (785) 215-8282
Equal Justice Works' Gulf Coast Legal Aid Efforts
The Equal Justice Works chapter at Washburn University School of Law, in partnership with the Student Hurricane Network, will again this year provide legal aid to the Gulf Coast community. Many problems resulting from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still remain in the area. This winter, January 5-12, 2008, sixteen Washburn Law students will travel to the New Orleans area to work with local organizations providing services ranging from legal research to community outreach, and everything in between.
For more information visit Student Hurricane Network web site.
Contact: Claire Terrebonne.
Kansas Legal Services
Kansas Legal Services, a statewide non-profit organization, is dedicated to helping low income Kansans meet their basic needs through the provision of essential legal, mediation and employment training services. This opportunity may also qualify as an Externship for course credit. For additional information about Externships, contact Dean Anders.
Visit the Kansas Legal Services web site.
Contact: (785) 233-2068
Shawnee County Youth Court
The goal of the Shawnee County Youth Court is to prevent juveniles from entering the Juvenile justice system. The participants are students who learn the basic of law and aid in presenting a trial by being jurors, bailiffs, and lawyers. The people who come before youth court are first time offenders with certain non-violent offenses. Court is held the third Thursday of each month with the exception of May and December. Volunteers are needed to organize the jury pool, sign in defendants, sit beside new defense and prosecuting attorneys, observe the trials and provide feedback to the attorneys.
Visit the Shawnee County Youth Court web site.
Contact: Georgianna "George" Wong, (785) 273-4141, ext. 301 or wong [at] typ.kscoxmail.com
Other youth court programs in Kansas (38 KB PDF; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Volunteer Income Tax Program (VITA)
The Tax and Estate Planning Association at Washburn University School of Law will again this year assist people in the community with preparing and filing their tax returns. The VITA Program offers free tax help for low- to moderate-income (under $38,000) people who do not itemize deductions and who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Electronic filing (E-filing) will be available.
Visit the Washburn Law VITA web site.
Contact: Eric Pauly at eric.pauly [at] washburn.edu
Washburn Law Clinic
The Washburn Law Clinic functions as an in-house general practice law firm, providing representation in practice concentration areas such as Family Law, Juvenile Law, Criminal Law, Native American Law, Civil Law, Appellate Defense, and Transactional Law. Regardless of the subject matter of the clinic cases, the skills that students acquire through their clinical experience are transferable to future practice.
Visit the Washburn Law Clinic web site.
Contact: (785) 670-1191
Non-Legal
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches caring adults with children for one hour each week in school. They read together, play board games or just talk.
Visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters web site.
Contact: (785) 234-5524
Helping Hands Humane Society
Helping Hands Humane Society serves our community by taking in and providing care for over 10,000 unwanted, lost, abandoned, and abused animals each year.
Visit the Helping Hands Humane Society web site.
Contact: (785) 233-7325
Horizons Program
This program is aimed at Shawnee County couples who have children and are in a high-conflict divorce; it helps them to learn to communicate about their children while setting aside their own personal issues. Parents attend twice a month for three months. For three weeks of the program, the children are invited to participate. The kids work through activities that encourage them to express their ideas about divorce. Volunteers work with the children and provide individual attention. The activities are provided by the program and are creative and fun. The children's sessions are the fourth Tuesday of the month from 5:30-7:45 p.m. at the Shawnee County Courthouse.
Contact: Project Coordinator Sherri Keller at (785) 233-8200, ext. 4504 or Bud Dale at drbuddale [at] aol.com or (785) 267-0025
Meals on Wheels
Founded in 1972 as Mobile Meals of Topeka, Inc., Meals on Wheels, Inc. delivers a hot meal Monday through Friday to homebound citizens in Shawnee and Jefferson Counties who are unable to provide proper nourishment for themselves. The meals are prepared primarily by the Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center dietary staff and are delivered by volunteers. The underlying objective of the program is to prevent deterioration of the elderly and handicapped individuals in the community, thus making it possible for them to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. The friendly visit with the volunteers is socially helpful and the daily visit is important in case of an emergency situation.
Visit the Meals on Wheels web site.
Contact: (785) 354-5420
YWCA Battered Women's Task Force
You can directly help women and children who have been abused. As a volunteer advocate, you will carry a cell phone and be on call to respond to emergency weekend or after-hours crisis calls. You will talk to victims on the phone and, if necessary, take them into the shelter. You may be called to the hospital to help a victim of rape. A staff member also carries a cell phone to assist or act as a backup whenever necessary. Counselors are asked to sign up for at least two shifts per month. Those shifts last eight to 15 hours, depending on the day. Training, offered every few months, covers counseling skills, rape and domestic violence dynamics, shelter intake procedures, and shelter policies.
Visit the Battered Women's Task Force web site.
Contact: (785) 233-1750
