Service Matches Non-Profit Organizations in need of Legal Advice with Volunteer Lawyers

Pro Bono Law Alberta (PBLA) was launched as a legacy project in recognition of the centenary of the Law Society of Alberta in 2007, and plays an important role in fostering pro bono contributions by the legal community to facilitate access to justice for Albertans. PBLA engages the legal community through programs such as the Civil Claims Duty Counsel and Queen’s Bench Amicus court-based programs in Calgary and Edmonton, which provide assistance for those involved in civil matters. Last year, the court-based programs were supported by more than 1,030 volunteer lawyers, articling students and law students who provided over 4,600 hours of pro bono legal services to more than 5,550 individuals. In addition, PBLA works in the community to broker strategic partnerships between non-profit organizations and law firms to deliver services to vulnerable populations around Alberta, and works across the province to generally promote pro bono service to the legal community.

One of PBLA’s unique program offerings is Volunteer Lawyer Services (VLS), which provides non-profit organizations (and organizations who have not yet received their non-profit registration) with the opportunity to access dedicated assistance from a pro bono lawyer for discrete legal matters. PBLA’s team of volunteer lawyers are available to provide assistance with legal matters that impact non-profits including policy and governance, employment law, contracts, volunteer waivers, charitable registrations, and more. This service allows non-profit organizations to build capacity and focus on carrying out their own mission, all while addressing the legal matters at hand.

For VLS volunteers, the program provides an ideal pro bono opportunity as it allows busy practitioners to select the applicants they retain as pro bono clients based on their desired time commitment and to set the scope of the retainer which best fits their schedules.
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For more information about how your non-profit or potential non-profit can benefit from pro bono service through VLS, or to register to volunteer, please contact us at 403-541-4803, or [email protected].