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Founded in 1981 by members of the Austin Bar, Volunteer Legal Services was built on the fundamental belief that poverty should not be a barrier to justice. The prohibitive cost of legal services often leaves individuals unable to access professional assistance for critical civil matters, such as divorces, child custody disputes, landlord-tenant issues, domestic violence situations, and more. To address this need, VLS mobilizes attorney volunteers to provide representation for those who would otherwise be unable to afford a lawyer. Today, VLS impacts thousands of lives each year through a range of initiatives, including in-person & over the phone legal advice clinics, collaborative partnerships with law firms and nonprofits, and direct representation of individual clients.
While many attorneys recognize the importance of pro bono work, their dedication to it can often be overshadowed by the pressing demands of daily life. Finding the right pro bono opportunity that aligns with their professional responsibilities, personal schedules, and individual interests can be a time-consuming challenge. Additionally, choosing among various types of pro bono work or navigating unfamiliar areas of law may feel daunting. Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas (VLS) understands these challenges and has introduced initiatives designed to make pro bono work more accessible, straightforward, and manageable for attorneys and in turn the thousands of Central Texans in need.
Currently, our in-person clinics are in the greatest need of consistent volunteers. Clients visit one of our five clinic locations throughout Central Texas to ensure accessibility for those in need. These locations include the St. John location of the Austin Public Library in Northeast Austin, the Ruiz location of the Austin Public Library in South Austin near ACC Riverside, the San Marcos Public Library, the Elroy location of the Del Valle Public Library, and the Emmaus Catholic Church in Lakeway. VLS attorney volunteers arrive a little before 6 PM with a laptop, ready to provide 3-4 legal advice consultations. They receive applicant information via SharePoint, pre-screened by our VLS staff to ensure eligibility for our services. These files contain information gathered during the prescreening process, including applications and interview forms outlining the legal issues the clients may be facing. During a shift, an attorney volunteer’s primary task is gathering information about the issue and offering legal advice to each client, while VLS staff manage the logistics. Our clinics are designed to make volunteering straightforward for attorneys while ensuring clients receive accessible legal help.
Many attorneys are unfamiliar with the legal issues affecting applicants, and that is okay. VLS provides attorneys with resources from interview forms to staff attorneys to interpreters that allow them to do their best by providing all the information possible within the 30-minute advice session. VLS also maintains malpractice insurance that covers attorneys at all of the legal advice clinics. After the 30-minute advice session, attorneys complete an interview form for further review by our staff. This document helps determine if additional advice is needed, if the client qualifies for direct representation, or if other resources are necessary. Marc Vockell, one of our dedicated in-person volunteers, understands the common concerns about practicing unfamiliar areas of law. However, he assures us that this is not a significant issue, as clients are primarily seeking help. As Marc says, “there’s something scary about volunteering and practicing an area of law that you don’t do every day,” but from his experience, “that’s not anything at all to worry about, because the people who are coming to the clinics just really want any help they can get. So, as a lawyer in any area of law, you’re going to be able to help a lot.” Marc often takes a moment between clients to conduct light online research, ensuring he is well-prepared. While it may seem daunting, Marc and the entire VLS team guarantee that any lawyer can handle it.
Over the years, we have discovered that legal advice clinics have become a team-building exercise. Many of Austin’s top law firms participate by sending their available attorneys to provide advice for the evening. This is an excellent way to involve more talented attorneys, boost morale within the firm, and support pro bono work in the community. Firms like Baker Botts, Thompson Salinas Londergan, and Friday Milner Lambert Turner regularly send their attorneys to our clinics, making pro bono work even more accessible.
We cannot speak of VLS clinics without recognizing the clinic location that has been operating the longest. In 2015, Sr. Judge Orlinda Naranjo and local attorney Matt Garcia recognized a need for civil legal services for individuals in need in the Lakeway area, providing a location where these individuals did not have to travel across town to receive VLS services. The Lakeway clinic exemplifies the dedication of volunteers who believe in the VLS mission. Volunteers like Tracy East and Tony Rodriguez are what Matt Garcia calls “the heart of the clinic,” and the Lakeway location wouldn’t be possible without them.
There is a need for committed attorney and non-attorney volunteers at all of our clinic locations. If you are interested, there is a space for you to make a difference. Please contact our Director of Pro Bono Services Hollie Toups at htoups@vlsoct.org to get more information, sign up to volunteer, or get your firm involved.