What is ABA Free Legal Answers™?
ABAFreeLegalAnswers.org is a virtual legal advice portal for users to pose legal questions online to volunteer attorneys:
- Users must meet income eligibility guidelines
- Questions must be regarding civil legal matters
- Answers will be provided by volunteer attorneys in theusers’ respective states
- Links will be provided to lawyer referral and other legalservices projects for those not eligible or who need more in-depth legal representation
ABA Free Legal Answers™ increases services to low-income populations.
- ABA Free Legal Answers has, in just over two years of service,received over 90,000 legal questions, over 6,700 pro bonoattorney registrations and has 41 jurisdictions committed to participating.
- The site allows users in rural areas to access legal resources fromacross the state
- The provision of brief advice can prevent larger legal crisesfrom developing and allows legal services staffattorneys to focus on full representation
ABA Free Legal Answers™ increases pro bono opportunities.
- The site offers a convenient pro bono opportunity that attorneys can fit into their schedule.
- Attorneys can log in and provide answers 24/7/365, from any location that has an internet connection.
- Volunteer populations with restricted time in which to provide pro bono, such as law firm, corporatelaw department and government attorneys, as well as part-time, retired and at-home attorneys, can easily participate in pro bono through the site.
The American Bar Association provides:
- Malpractice insurance for all volunteer attorneys.
- A national staff person to maintain the site, manage the queue and collect and analyze data.
- Web hosting, at no cost to participating states.
