NYS Courts Volunteer Lawyer Project

The court system established the Volunteer Attorney Programs as a free service designed to ensure that these litigants have access to competent legal advice to guide them as they represent themselves. There are also programs that provide limited scope representation in courtrooms.

Under the supervision of court staff, volunteer attorneys, law graduates, and law students spend full days or parts of days in a courthouse, and are available to provide legal advice and assistance to unrepresented litigants in:

• answering questions and inquiries
• completing petitions and other court forms
• preparing for court hearings
• interpreting court orders

Volunteers also may assist litigants in settling their cases.

Participating attorneys select the court where they wish to serve and the types of cases on which they wish to consult. Matters in which legal assistance is needed include:

• consumer debt cases
• family matters (including custody, visitation, and child support)
• landlord/tenant cases
• matrimonial
• uncontested divorce