Civil Rights Connection State Directory

    Nationwide

    ABA Military Pro Bono Project

    Topics Addressed: Women's Rights, National Security
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Transactional, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 5-10 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys
    Volunteer Requirements: No specific training/experience required
    Contact Information: Rachael Derham, Military Pro Bono Coordinator
    Additional Information: Volunteer Webpage

    Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

    Topics Addressed: Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Advocacy/Legislation
    Time Requirement: 5-10 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: Prior experience required
    Contact Information:  Grace Huang, Director of Policy
    Additional Information: Seeking analysis and "translation" of legislation and administrative regulations for non-attorneys to help them engage in advocacy.

    Center for Civil Rights Remedies at UCLA's Civil Rights Project

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Short-term or limited scope opportunities
    Time Requirement: 10-20 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys
    Volunteer Requirements: Minimum volunteer commitment required
    Contact Information: Dan Losen, Director
    Additional Information: Assistance needed producing and following up with a series of legal requests for data pursuant to state sunshine act and federal FOIA laws. The requests regard information about the enrollment of students with disabilities and also regarding access to school discipline data. Our work is national in scope, but also would include seeking information from state and local agencies. Other opportunities could also arise in the course of this work.

    Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

    Topics Addressed: Constitutional Rights, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Community Education/Outreach, Community Organizing, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual
    Time Requirement: 10-20 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries), Volunteers from outside of the legal profession
    Volunteer Requirements: No specific training/experience required
    Contact Information: Roula Allouch, National Board Chair

    National Disability Rights Network

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation
    Time Requirement: 20+ hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys
    Volunteer Requirements: No specific training/experience required
    Contact Information: Philip Fornaci, Senior Attorney
    Additional Information: Anticipates requests for pro bono assistance in litigation on an intermittent basis. NDRN can serve as a conduit for lawyers interested in co-counseling major litigation on disability issues.

    National Veterans Legal Services Program

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Advocacy/Legislation, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual
    Time Requirement: 20+ hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: No specific training/experience required
    Contact Information: Rochelle Bobroff, Director of Pro Bono
    Additional Information: Volunteer Webpage; partner with law firms and corporate entities, rather than individual attorneys.

    Multi-State

    Administer Justice
    CA, AZ, TX, OK, MO, IL, IN, TN, KY, GA, FL, NC, PA

    Topics Addressed: Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Community Education/Outreach, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Mentoring, Evenings/Weekends
    Time Requirement: 1-5 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries), Volunteers from outside of the legal profession
    Volunteer Requirements: Participation in organization-sponsored training/certification required
    Contact Information: Shilpita Sen, President, Graduate & Professional Student Council, The University of Arizona
    Additional Information:  Volunteer Webpage 

    Arizona

    Graduate & Professional Student Council, The University of Arizona

    Topics Addressed: Constitutional Rights, Disability Rights, Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights, Voting Rights & Election Protection, Privacy Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Community Education/Outreach, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual
    Time Requirement: 1-5 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries)
    Volunteer Requirements: Minimum volunteer commitment required
    Contact Information: Shilpita Sen, President, Graduate & Professional Student Council, The University of Arizona

    Southwest Center for Equal Justice

    Topics Addressed: Constitutional Rights, Criminal Justice, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Voting Rights & Election Protection
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Community Education/Outreach, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual
    Time Requirement: 20+ hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries)
    Volunteer Requirements: Legal knowledge or experience required
    Contact Information: Gary Pearlmutter, Chief Operating Officer
    Additional Information: SWCEJ is a new non-profit civil rights law firm focused on criminal justice reform. We offer limited scope legal services to indigent individuals in connection with collateral consequences of criminal justice system involvement, impact litigation to change unfair systemic practices, and collaborative advocacy. Volunteer opportunities include legal and factual research, limited court appearances and direct services in connection with criminal justice collateral consequences.

    California

    ABA Immigration Justice Project

    Topics Addressed: Constitutional Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Transactional, Community Education/Outreach, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Mentoring, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 5-10 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries), Volunteers from outside of the legal profession
    Volunteer Requirements: Participation in organization-sponsored training/certification required
    Contact Information: Ambreen Walji, Pro Bono Coordinator & Staff Attorney
    Additional Information: Provide representation to asylum-seekers, detained and non-detained in the San Diego region

    Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco
    San Francisco

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights, Economic Justice, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Transactional, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation, Mentoring, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 10-20 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: Dependent upon the project - some expect prior experience and some provide training.
    Contact Information: Mady Hahn-Smith, Volunteer and Clinics Coordinator
    Additional Information: Volunteer Webpage  JDC has a number of projects (see below) with time commitments varying from 1 hour-40+ hours.

    • Federal Pro Bono Project: Represents low-income litigants in Federal Court. 
    • Low-Income Tax Payer Clinic: Assists low-income taxpayers who have issues in controversy with the IRS. 
    • Community Organization Representation Project (CORP): Represents and advises nonprofit organizations. 
    • Legal Advice and Referral Clinic: Provides brief legal advice to low-income folks on a variety of legal areas. 
    • Family Law Project: Represents families in areas including: simple divorces, custody and spousal support, and guardianships and conservatorship. 
    • Tenant Advocacy Project: Represents tenants in pre-eviction disputes with landlords, including those involving disability accommodations, rent calculation and habitability issues. 
    • Immigrant Legal Defense Program: Provides free, high-quality, culturally competent legal services to low-income and unrepresented immigrants facing deportation.

    Florida

    South Dade Branch of the NAACP
    Miami-Dade County

    Topics Addressed: Criminal Justice, Disability Rights, Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights, Voting Rights & Election Protection
    Types of Opportunities: Community Education/Outreach, Community Organizing, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation, Mentoring, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 1-5 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries), Volunteers from outside of the legal profession
    Volunteer Requirements: Vary by demand. Organization membership recommended. 
    Contact Information: Carole Jackson, Second Vice President and Chair, Civic Engagement and Economic Development Committees
    Additional Information: Seeking members of their Legal Redress Committee to provide counsel when discrimination complaints are sent to the organization. Particular focus on voting rights and voter protection. Time commitment is flexible and dependent upon the kindness and schedule of the volunteer. Volunteers should join organization; membership would be subsidized at $30 annual membership dues. Members who are working with law students are welcome, so both can gain experience and pro bono hours. In-person volunteer opportunities are curtailed until the NAACP national organizations allow us to resume those activities, now curtailed due to the COVID pandemic. Any volunteer is free to detemine the scope of his/her/their activities.

    Southern Legal Counsel, Inc.

    Topics Addressed: Constitutional Rights, Disability Rights, Economic Justice, LGBTQ+ Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation, Mentoring, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual
    Time Requirement: 20+ hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: Prior experience preferred/required, depending on issue
    Contact Information: Samantha Howell, Pro Bono Director
    Additional Information:  Volunteer Webpage

    Montana

    Montana Legal Services Association

    Topics Addressed: Economic Justice
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Mentoring, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 1-5 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: Minimum volunteer commitment required
    Contact Information: Megan Helton, HR Manager
    Additional Information:  Volunteer Webpage

    New Mexico

    Collins & Collins, P.C.

    Topics Addressed: Criminal Justice
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation
    Time Requirement: 5-10 hours
    Volunteer Type: Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: Good research, writing and analytical skills
    Contact Information: Parrish Collins, Partner
    Additional Information:  Current work is focused on prison medical neglect - lawsuits against New Mexico prisons and jails, and their prison medical contractors - handled strictly on contingency basis. A number of lawsuits that need to be filed that have very little if any potential for attorneys fees. Examples include:  the constitutionality of the medical grievance process and TROs related to failure to treat various chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hepatitis C. Requesting research and writing help on these matters.

    New York

    Disability Rights New York

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Advocacy/Legislation
    Time Requirement: 10-20 hours
    Volunteer Type: Retired Attorneys
    Volunteer Requirements: Prior experience required
    Contact Information: Elisabeth Taylor, HR Director
    Additional Information:  Volunteer Webpage

    Tennessee

    Tennessee Fair Housing Coucil

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation, Business Hours, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 1-5 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students
    Volunteer Requirements: Fair Housing knowledge beneficial but not required.
    Contact Information: Kathy Trawick, Executive Director
    Additional Information:  Focuses on Housing Discrimination as defined by the Fair Housing Act. Many clients need assistance in securing a reasonable accommodation and/or modification. Cases usually take under 5 hours of time and involve negotiating/educating the housing provider on behalf of the client. Since this is a federal law, no special state law knowledge is necessary. 

    TN Supreme Court Admin Office of the Courts / TN ATJ Commission

    Topics Addressed: Criminal Justice, Economic Justice, Racial Equity & Inclusion
    Types of Opportunities: Community Education/Outreach, Community Organizing, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Virtual
    Time Requirement: 5-10 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries), Volunteers from outside of the legal profession
    Volunteer Requirements: No specific training/experience required
    Contact Information: Anne-Louise Wirthlin, Director of Access to Justice

    Washington, D.C.

    Melanie Bates Consulting, LLC

    Topics Addressed: Criminal Justice
    Types of Opportunities: Community Education/Outreach, Community Organizing, Short-term or limited scope opportunities, Advocacy/Legislation, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 1-5 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Law Students, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries), Volunteers from outside of the legal profession
    Volunteer Requirements: Prior experience required
    Contact Information: Melanie Bates, Principal
    Additional Information:  Volunteer Webpage

    Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia

    Topics Addressed: Disability Rights, Economic Justice, Racial Equity & Inclusion
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Business Hours, Evenings/Weekends, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 10-20 hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys
    Volunteer Requirements: Participation in organization-sponsored training/certification required
    Contact Information: Bradford Voegeli, Director of Private Attorney Involvement
    Additional Information:  Volunteer Webpage; NLSP's volunteer opportunities relating to civil rights primarily focus on assisting people to access housing if they are facing discrimination due to disability or source of income.

    Norris Law

    Topics Addressed: Constitutional Rights, Economic Justice, Women's Rights, Racial Equity & Inclusion, Immigrants Rights
    Types of Opportunities: Litigation, Advocacy/Legislation, Virtual, In-Person
    Time Requirement: 20+ hours
    Volunteer Type: Licensed Attorneys, Retired Attorneys, Legal Professionals (paralegals, legal secretaries)
    Volunteer Requirements: No specific training/experience required
    Contact Information: Amy Norris, Attorney at Law