Ways to Volunteer
For Lawyers
The need for pro bono legal services in Maine is vast. VLP acts as a nexus, connecting pro bono attorneys with Maine people who would otherwise be dealing with a civil legal issue on their own.
For Community Members
Be a part of a team that uses the law to change lives for the better, empowering people to assert their rights, and extending the protections of the law to everyone, regardless of income.
Internships & Fellowships
Summer internships are an integral part of our services. VLP provides unique opportunities to learn more about the legal system while serving vulnerable populations in one’s community.
For Community Members
The Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project may be the right fit for you.
The list below highlights the various opportunities for community members and students to become key players in the delivery of legal services to those in need.
Client Intake
Interviewers
The VLP provides walk-in style legal clinics for Family Law, Workers Rights, and Small Claims issues. Clinic Intake Interviewers connect with clients in person at the clinics, conduct intakes, and connect clients with volunteer lawyers who provide legal advice. The programs run in Augusta, West Bath, Wiscasset, Bangor, Farmington, Biddeford, Lewiston, Belfast, Ellsworth or Portland.
Intake Line
Interviewers
Intake Interviewers on our Client Intake Line serve as the first point of contact for potential clients by conducting telephone interviews, determine eligibility and key details related to legal matters, review intakes with their legal supervisor, learn whether and how the VLP can offer assistance, and provide a critical link to needed services.
Domestic Violence Panel Interviewers
Domestic Violence Panel Interviewers assist Pro Bono attorneys, clients, and Family Crisis Center staff through the calling of the docket and interviews with clients who will be represented by attorneys for the Protection from Abuse Hearings being heard that day.
Worker’s Rights or Small Claims Clinic Interviewer
Interview walk-in clients at the Workers’ Rights Legal Clinic on Thursdays or Small Claims Clinic on Tuesdays. Volunteers are trained to handle initial interviews, understand general legal terms, and support volunteer attorneys when needed.
Portland: Thursdays, 4:50- 7:00 pm or Tuesdays 12:30-3:00pm.
PFA Defendant Representation Project Coordinator (Lewiston)
Trained volunteers assist Pro Bono attorneys as they offer free-of-charge attorney consultations, which could include representation, to defendants in Protection from Abuse cases. For a defendant to qualify for this project, the plaintiff must be represented by an attorney and the defendant must meet certain financial criteria. Lewiston District Court, Fridays, 8:30-12 noon.
Media, Data,
and Administrative
Assistants
Volunteers also assist staff with various administrative tasks, including data entry, general office work and specifically designed projects focused on fundraising.
Click here for the volunteer application.
Family Law Helpline Advocates
(Law Students Only)
Supervised and mentored by attorneys, speak with pre-scheduled clients via phone, review case details, and provide advice on common family law issues including divorce, child custody, and child support. Help clients understand, plan and prepare for upcoming court appointments, as well as provide direction in filling out court forms. Wednesdays 5:30-8 pm.
Internships and Fellowships
Internships include comprehensive training for the work required, as well as training
in social issues likely to be encountered, such as poverty and domestic violence.
MAPIL Fellowship
The Law School’s MAPIL (Maine Association for Public Interest Law) Fellowship Program enables a small number of first-year and second-year students to receive a stipend for their work as summer interns with various public interest organizations and agencies that would otherwise be unable to afford the interns’ services. The VLP is able to provide the opportunity for one MAPIL Fellow to provide direct legal services to members of the public who are disadvantaged.
Please contact Maine Law's Office of Career Services for more information about the MAPIL Fellowship Program.
Summer Internships
Summer internship responsibilities include:
Supporting direct service programs
Researching legal aid best practices and supporting implementation of new programs
Administrative support and community outreach
Shadowing court proceedings and learning intricacies of civil legal cases in Maine
VLP is no longer accepting summer internship applications for 2024. Please check back in Jan. of 2025.
Check the links below for specific information about your Maine College or University Internship Application Process:
