Legal Access Point (LAP)
About Legal Access Point
The Legal Access Point (LAP) Clinic is located inside of the Fourth Judicial District Court’s Self-Help Center. At the LAP Clinic, volunteer attorneys meet in-person with low-income clients regarding a wide range of civil legal issues, such as credit card debt lawsuits, car accidents, landlord-tenant disputes, unpaid wage claims against former employers, and other civil legal issues that commonly impact low-income individuals. Volunteer attorneys typically meet with up to six clients during the course of a two-hour volunteer shift. Clients often need assistance completing simple court forms provided to them by the court’s Self-Help Center staff for pro se use.
VLN staff or other non-attorney volunteers are also onsite at the LAP Clinic to serve as “clinic assistants” who support the pro bono work of volunteer attorneys. The clinic assistants gather conflict check information and make sure that the clients complete an intake form providing details about their legal problems. Clinic assistants also sit in on attorney-client meetings and provide additional support to the volunteer attorneys as needed. Volunteer attorneys complete the intake form explaining what advice or other legal services were provided to the client.
This is a great volunteer opportunity for attorneys who enjoy meeting with clients face-to-face and for attorneys looking to gain exposure to a wide variety of civil legal issues in a short amount of time. Please contact the Civil Program Manager for more information.
Training and Volunteer Information
Volunteer Lawyers Network will provide training to new volunteer attorneys prior to their first shift at the clinic and will provide onsite training at the clinic at the volunteers first shift. Please contact the Civil Program Manager for more information.
If you previously volunteered at the LAP clinic in-person prior to the pandemic and would like to start volunteering at the clinic in-person again, please contact the Civil Program Manager
