Volunteer

How Can I Help?

Donate Time

If you are an attorney and would like to accept a pro bono case, please click here or contact PSB@dadelegalaid.org. Put Something Back, a department of Dade Legal Aid, offers a variety of cases and innovative projects offering a wide array of pro bono opportunities. Please join the ranks of thousands of Miami attorneys and accept a case from one of Dade Legal Aid's award winning projects: Family Law & GAL Project, Child Advocacy Project, Foster Youth Project, Probate & Guardianship Project, Consumer Project, Housing Project, Patent Project, Venture Law Project, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Mentorship & Emeritus Attorney Project, and more. 

The Florida Bar Annual Statement includes a pro bono reporting requirement to report your contributions toward the Supreme Court aspirational goals of either 20 hours of pro bono service or donating $350 to Legal Aid each year. While providing pro bono is optional, completing the pro bono reporting form is mandatory.  If you are presently working on a case, you may simply report your hours in order to receive pro bono credit. If you cannot accept a case and/or would like to make a donation of $350 or more in lieu of accepting a case, please donate online or mail your "Buy-In" check to Dade Legal Aid.  After you accept a case, you may receive a mentor, training and materials upon request.  If you are a student, post-grad, retired, government attorney, part time, paralegal or paraprofessional, please consider donating your time with administrative tasks, client intake, translating and our Legal Helpline. 

"Buy-In" Contributions

As attorneys, we took an Oath and solemnly swore to never reject, from any consideration, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed. In support of that Oath, Florida Bar Rule 4-6.1 encourages attorneys to give back at least 20 hours of pro bono service annually or make a financial contribution of $350 and to report these contributions. "Buy-Ins" help us continue providing critical legal services to disadvantaged individuals and families, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your contribution fulfills your pro bono requirement so long as you report your donation on your Bar Dues Statement. Click here to contribute. 

Monetary Donations

Individual, 100% Law Firm, CyPres, Corporate and other charitable donations help sustain the critical work of Dade Legal Aid. You and your firm may also designate Dade Legal Aid in your United Way Charitable Giving, through the Dade Legal Aid Fund at the Miami Foundation, and in your Estate Planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I collect a fee? Pro bono clients are indigent and should not be charged fees unless you determine that they are over income and not eligible for free services.  Different agencies may have their own policies so if you receive a case from another agency check their policy but the general rule is that no client should ever be charged a fee.  At times, however, volunteers may seek to recover fees and costs from opposing parties and statutorily mandated fees when appropriate and may remit these to us to help defray costs associated with administering the program.  Please consider us when any type of fees or awards such as Cy pres may arise and notify us immediately if you recover fees and/or costs.

Who pays costs? All pro bono clients are low income and of limited means. The Affidavit of Indigency is the official court document that must be filed with the Clerk of Court in order for the Clerk to consider waiving filing fees, service of process, make copies or publish notices of action (for Bankruptcy Cases please use the following application forms to be considered for Waiver of Filing Fees or for Installment Payments of Filing Fee). We do not pay for these or other costs (depositions, expert witnesses, private investigators). If the client cannot pay and you need to expend these or other costs, you must obtain written pre-approval or your costs will NOT be reimbursed by the agency.  Please seek to recover costs whenever possible, and please reimburse the program accordingly. IF THE CLIENT IS OVER INCOME FOR PRO BONO SERVICES PLEASE ADVISE US IMMEDIATELY. Mediators  may be available to pro bono attorneys at no cost; again, please inform us if your matter may require a mediator. If your pro bono client is hearing-impaired, we provide interpreters.

How many hours and how many cases am I expected to handle? As a guideline, each attorney is expected to perform a minimum of 20 hours of pro bono legal work per year and required to report hours to The Florida Bar OR contribute a "Buy-In" in lieu of taking a case in the suggested amount of $350.00 or greater to Legal Aid.  

I volunteer at a school or donate to several charities. Does that qualify as pro bono?  The aspirational goal is to contribute at least 20 hours of pro bono legal services or contribute $350.00 annually to Legal Aid. General community service such as tutoring or serving on a board is commendable; however, only legal work performed for an income eligible client or organization satisfies the pro bono requirement.

I am not currently practicing law and have no office or staff. How can I help? Attorneys who are not actively practicing law but are licensed and in good standing are still able and encouraged to assist by screening clients, making phone calls or writing letters which may be of great importance to clients.  Additionally, you may assist in areas such as client intakes, pro se clinics, legal hotlines, special projects, training, cases referral, mentoring and co-counsel under the supervision of a Legal Aid attorney. If you are licensed and want to perform pro bono services in small chunks of time please email psb@dadelegalaid.org.

I'm a government attorney, handle PI or criminal cases. How can I help? Regardless of what type of law you practice, you can help.  If you litigate, you can apply those skills in a permanent injunction hearing, uncontested divorce or general civil cases.  If you practice corporate, business law or are a transactional attorney -  you can draft a simple will for a Veteran or handle a closing for a first time homeowner of Habitat for Humanity - we will find a case for you and train you in an area where needed most.  We offer FREE CLE training, maintain a database of training materials and have seasoned attorneys willing to mentor upon request.

What if I cannot accept the case referred to me? If you accept a case but later determine that you can no longer represent the client, please notify the program and client IMMEDIATELY so that the case can be reassigned. Once referred, the program deems the case accepted until notified otherwise.  Due to the extremely high case load we are managing it is imperative that you notify us of acceptance of the case and the status of the case on a quarterly basis and upon completion including a total number of hours expended.

How can I support pro bono legal services?  Dade Legal Aid - Put Something Back is successful serving as a catalyst to match lawyers and firms from all backgrounds and areas of interest and expertise with all agencies in our region.  We are encouraged by the growing number of attorneys joining our team ranks and hope to continue to grow our numbers.  If you have ever accepted a case you know firsthand the ease of accessing cases, trainings and other opportunities.

Host a Seminar or Event 

L to R:  Morgan Edelboim, Jorge Miranda, Jane Fernandes de Pina, Dana Quick, Angela Fiorentino, Jeffrey Bast, Former Judge Stanford Blake, Brett M. Amron, John Eder, Cece Pelaez and Gaby Rodriguez

On behalf of Dade Legal Aid and our grateful pro bono clients, thank you for your support!

Translate »