Pro bono attorneys help the Women’s Law Center accomplish its mission by volunteering on hotlines, taking cases and supporting policy and advocacy initiatives. The Women’s Law Center offers convenient, award-winning pro bono opportunities. Often Women’s Law Center resources are the only opportunity for low-income individuals to have access to an attorney for assistance regarding legal issues that have a profound effect on their rights and stability. Our volunteers have the chance to make a genuine impact on Marylanders in need by equipping them with information that helps them advocate for themselves or by providing legal representation.
Hotlines
Family Law Hotline
Family Law Hotline needs occasional volunteer attorneys to staff the Hotline. Attorneys answer basic family law questions and provide referrals to local resources when appropriate. Family Law Hotline calls can be forwarded to the attorney’s office or cell phone. Calls are brief, typically no longer than 15 minutes. The Hotline handles thousands of calls each year. The Hotline operates Monday–Friday 9:30am–4:30pm. To volunteer, please call 410-321-8761 or download a volunteer application. For more information about the Family Law Hotline services, please click here.
Employment Law Hotline
The Employment Law Hotline is staffed entirely by volunteers. Hotline attorneys provide legal information about rights in the workplace and other basic employment law matters. For more information about the Employment Law Hotline, please click here.
Employment Law Hotline calls are forwarded to the attorney’s office or cell phone. Therefore, it is an convenient way to provide pro bono service. The Hotline operates on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and the first Thursday evening of each month from 5:00–7:30 p.m. Each shift lasts 3 ½ hours. Volunteers are asked to commit to 2–4 shifts per year.
Employment Law Hotline attorneys are eligible to participate in the project’s referral panel, which can lead to new clients. Hotline attorneys complete a simple form for each caller. If it is determined that a caller has a viable case, the caller is referred to hotline volunteers who can opt to represent the client for a fee or at a discounted rate determined by the volunteer and the client.
If you would like to volunteer, call 410-321-8761 or download a volunteer application.
Take a Case
Women’s Law Center supporters help by providing pro bono or low bono representation to individual clients.
Judicare
Through Judicare, the Women’s Law Center screens low-income clients involved in divorce and contested custody cases in Baltimore County and places them with attorneys who agree to be paid a reduced fee. Funded through a grant from the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, attorneys receive $120 per hour with a cap of $4,200 for 30 hours of work. Attorneys participating in the program must agree to continue representing clients if the cap is exceeded. Representation is provided for free to clients. Time spent working on Judicare cases can be counted toward Lawyer Pro Bono Legal Service Report volunteer hours.
To handle a Judicare case, call 410-321-8761 or download a Judicare attorney volunteer application.
Protection Order Cases
Help a victim of domestic violence gain protection by providing representation in a Protective Order case in Baltimore City, Baltimore County or Carroll County. Your assistance would help the Women’s Law Center’s POARP Project help more victims. Cases are scheduled within 7 days so availability with little notice is necessary. To discuss handling a Protective Order case, call the Women’s Law Center’s Legal Director at 410-321-8761 or download a POARP volunteer application. For more information about the POARP project, please click here.
Serve on Committees
Judicial Selections Committee
Women’s Law Center attorney members serve on the Judicial Selections Committee that interviews candidates for judicial vacancies. If you are interested in getting involved with this Committee, call 410-321-8761.