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How do I sign up to
volunteer?
What kind of training will I receive?
Who coordinates this
program?
If I sign up, what
kind of time commitment am I giving?
Will I have the
opportunity to work with actual clients?
Will I have the
opportunity to appear in court?
Where do I go for the
clinics?
Where should I park?
What should I wear?
What kind of
recognition is given for volunteer law students?
What’s in it for me?
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How do I sign up to
volunteer?
Please contact the VLP Advocate Student Coordinator to become a
VLP
Advocate:
Jean West
»
jewest@email.arizona.edu
Jillian Aja
»
jaja@email.arizona.edu
Jen Crutchfield
»
jcrutch@email.arizona.edu
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What kind of training will I receive?
The Volunteer Lawyers Program provides training for students who
wish to
participate in the VLP Advocate projects. Most opportunities
through the
VLP Advocate Program require a two-hour substantive law training.
However, the Child Support Court Project also requires a computer
program training. The training sessions are organized by the
VLP and
generally involve presentations by members of the bench or private
bar. Written materials are also provided.
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Who coordinates this
program?
The VLP Advocates is coordinated by a law student coordinator;
Martha
Fenn, who is the Coordinator of Special Projects and Director
of Com-
munity
Services at the James E. Rogers College of Law; and the Law
Student Coordinator at the VLP.
Read more about the
coordinators.
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If I sign up, what
kind of time commitment am I giving?
The VLP Advocate Program requests a 12-15 hour commitment per
semester from the students who want to become involved with the VLP.
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Will I have the
opportunity to work with actual clients?
Law students work with actual clients through each of the
opportunities
offered by the VLP Advocate Program.
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Will I have the
opportunity to appear in court?
Law students who volunteer with the Guardianship Clinic will also have
the
opportunity to appear as a "Friend of the Court" in Pima County
Superior
Court. Students meet with unrepresented clients
at their guardianship
hearings in probate court. The students will
explain the proceedings and
review the client's file to ensure that all the
legal requirements have been
met. Students then have the opportunity to appear before
the court and offer
their recommendation as to whether the client should be
awarded
guardianship.
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Where do I go for the
clinics?
Students who participate in the Domestic Relations Clinic meet at
the
VLP office located at Southern Arizona Legal Aid:
2343 E.
Broadway Blvd., Suite 200
Tucson, AZ 85719
Students involved in the
Child Support Court Project and the
Guardianship Clinic meet at the Pima County Superior Court (110 W.
Congress Street).
Courthouse Map
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Where should I park?
The Child Support Court Project and the Guardianship Clinic
are
held at the Pima County
Superior Courthouse, which is located at the
corner of Congress and
Church in downtown Tucson. The following map
shows where the courthouse
is, as well as where public parking is
available:
Courthouse Map
The Domestic Relations Clinic is held at the VLP office at
Southern
Arizona Legal Aid, which is located at 2343 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite
200,
which is on the north side of Broadway, just west of Tucson Blvd.
Free
parking is available.
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What should I wear?
Attire can be casual if the student is working in either the Child
Support
Court Project or the Domestic Relations Clinic. However, more
professional dress is required (men must wear a tie) when
appearing
at the Guardianship Project.
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What kind of
recognition is given for volunteer law students?
One VLP Advocate is
chosen each month to receive the Outstanding Law
Student Volunteer Award. A plaque with their picture in it
hangs in the law
school. Read more about the award recipients through the
following link:
Student
Awards
In addition to monthly awards, every fall the Volunteer Lawyers
Program
sponsors an annual recognition luncheon. At the luncheon volunteer
attorneys, law firms, and other organizations are honored for their
work
with pro bono clients. An award is also presented to the
outstanding law
student volunteer at the luncheon.
In the spring, the VLP organizes a
recognition event held in the law school
atrium. This luncheon provides the VLP with an opportunity to
specifically
thank all of the law students who participate in the program. Dean
Massaro traditionally speaks at the event along with a superior
court
judge.
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What’s in it for me?
Legal
skills development
Pro bono participation is an opportunity to work with real clients.
This
experience enables
students to develop a variety of fundamental legal skills
that law courses
alone cannot teach, such as problem solving, legal
research and
analysis, counseling, negotiation, litigation, and the
recognition and
resolution of ethical dilemmas. Having developed such
skills, a student
can market herself t o future employers by demonstrating
that she has
relevant and practical work experience.
Introduction to practice settings
Networking and mentoring
Pro bono work opens the door to these two important career
development
tools. It helps students build relationships with practicing
lawyers who can
serve as an
important contact for future employment. The supervising a
student’s pro bono
work can provide helpful feedback. The lawyer can also
provide
references, career guidance, and job leads.
Leadership skills development |
