For Lawyers

For Lawyers

The Lawyers Clearinghouse relies on its volunteer attorneys to provide pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations and to individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The Clearinghouse offers pro bono opportunities to attorneys through its four programs:

  • The Community Legal Referral Program (CLRP) matches volunteer lawyers with nonprofit groups that develop or sponsor affordable housing, promote economic development, or operate as homeless shelters, tenant organizations, and housing and homeless advocacy groups. For more information about volunteering through this program, contact Machiko Sano Hewitt at (617) 778-1954.
  • The Massachusetts Legal Clinic for the Homeless (MLCH), a collaborative of nine of the state’s largest law firms, provides on-site legal services to the guests of the Pine Street Inn, St. Francis House, Medeiros Center, hopeFound Shattuck, and hopeFound IMPACT. For more information about volunteering through this project, contact Maribeth Perry at (617) 778-1980.
  • The BBA Business Law Pro Bono Project (BLP) created in 2001 as a project BBA Business Law Section, matches volunteer lawyers with nonprofit organizations in need of assistance with corporate or business related legal needs. While many pro bono projects target litigators to take on pro bono cases in the traditional poverty law areas, limited opportunities exist for non-litigators who want to provide pro bono legal assistance in their areas of expertise. The project was designed to bring more pro bono opportunities to business and transactional attorneys. For more information about volunteering through this project, contact Machiko Sano Hewitt at (617) 778-1954.
  • The Legal Assessment Program (LAP) matches nonprofit organizations with lawyers to complete an in-depth review of the organization’s operations to ensure that the organization is keeping up to date on its filings and is following best practices in governance.  For more information about volunteering through this project, contact Machiko Sano Hewitt at (617) 778-1954.

The Clearinghouse also offers legal trainings and workshops for lawyers.  For more information about upcoming programs, please contact Machiko Sano Hewitt at 617 778-1954.

Lawyers are also invited to attend legal workshops that are offered on topics of interest to nonprofit organizations.

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We are effective and efficient.

On a budget of only $200k, we are able to provide the community with over 4 million dollars of donated legal services. The nonprofits that receive our services are then able to provide extensive services in their own communities.