CBA Record September-October 2024

CELEBRATING

OF PRO BONO WEEK

YEARS

Pro Bono Opportunities Helping Survivors of Domestic Violence

Ascend Justice Emergency Order of Protection Clinic The Emergency Order of Protection Clinic is an opportunity for groups of volunteers to work directly with survivors of gender based violence at the Domestic Violence Courthouse in Chicago. Volunteers inter view clients and prepare and submit the petition for an emergency order of protec tion, which includes the client’s affidavit, and other necessary court forms. Volunteers may be attorneys, parale gals, or other legal professionals. Training is available on demand via the Ascend Jus tice website and is eligible for CLE credit for Illinois attorneys. Clinic shifts are scheduled Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups can include 2-6 volunteers. More information is available at www. ascendjustice.org/volunteer. To schedule a clinic day for your organization, con tact Ascend Justice Director of Pro Bono Services, Kimberly Washington, at volun teerservices@ascendjustice.org. The Pro Bono Network (PBN) works with Legal Aid Chicago to provide coordinated access to free legal services for victims of domestic violence who are seeking orders of protection. PBN volunteer attorneys work with clients whose cases are handled at suburban courthouses, representing them through their hearing for a plenary order of protection. Volunteer attorneys Pro Bono Network/ Legal Aid Chicago

affiliated with the PBN provide represen tation to clients referred by Sarah’s Inn, domestic violence organizations provid ing services at the courthouses. Legal Aid Chicago provides training and ongoing support to the volunteer attorneys during the litigation. The goals of the project are to ensure that more suburban survivors of domestic violence are represented by attorneys and to identify issues for appeal arising out of the domestic violence courtrooms in the Circuit Court of Cook County. To learn more and volunteer, visit www.pro-bono-network.org/volunteer. Pro bono lawyers can help eligible immi grant survivors of domestic abuse to file a self-petition under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) through NIJC. You can find more information about the VAWA process, and the role pro bono lawyers can play at immigrantjustice.org/ for-attorneys/legal-resources/file/nijc pro-bono-project-vawa-self-petitions. To learn more and volunteer, contact VAWA pro bono coordinator, Jackie Mares, at jmares@immigrantjustice.org. Legal Aid Society The Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services works with many low income clients who qualify for legal status in the United States through U-Visa (crime victims) or VAWA (survivors of National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)

Connecting with Communities – CBA Record September/October 2019

domestic violence) petitions. To amplify LAS’ resources and capacity to take on these cases, teams of 3-5 pro bono attor neys work under the supervision of an LAS staff attorney to complete immigra tion relief applications for these clients. All clients have been interviewed and approved for the program through the LAS intake process prior to being matched with pro bono teams. Once cli ents are matched, pro bono teams oversee client contact and all document drafting, but assistance is always available from LAS staff attorneys. Cases typically require 4-6 months of interviewing clients and drafting docu ments before submission to USCIS for

20 YEARS OF PRO BONO WEEK

30 September/October 2024