Volunteer
LawHelpCA- LiveChat Volunteer Program
LAAC (The Legal Aid Association of California) regularly staffs volunteers to run our LawHelpCA LiveChat program. Volunteers work remotely on our LawHelpCA website, providing person-to-person help for low-income and modest-means Californians in what can often be stressful and alienating legal situations.
What do Volunteers do?
Volunteers work on our LiveChat platform to provide legal assistance to individuals utilizing LawHelpCA to search for legal help. Volunteers are trained on how to navigate our legal directory and provide resources such as legal aid organizations (free or sliding scale help), court self-help center information (free help), and private attorney referrals services, with "modest means" help where you and the attorney set the fee amount and fee type together, and general legal information that does not replace legal help from an attorney.
Volunteers will learn to sort through complex legal subjects and learn how to communicate with members of the public using plain language and trauma-informed methods. Once trained, volunteers can participate from any computer with internet access, making this a flexible option for a variety of individuals.
Who is Eligible?
Anyone who is 18 years of age and older interested in learning more about the legal landscape of California and has a passion for or interest in LAACs mission and work is encouraged to apply! We also offer pro bono credit for JD and LLM students.
What is the Application and Onboarding Process?
Once you have completed the application for the LiveChat volunteer position, your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted with an update. For all accepted applicants, LAAC provides training (one 2-hour Zoom training, a follow-up Zoom call with each individual volunteer, and hands-on practice with legal issue spotting). Once trained, volunteers can participate from any computer with internet access, making this a flexible option for volunteering or earning pro bono hours.
Hours may be done between 9 AM-4:30 pm PM Monday-Friday. The minimum commitment is 2 hours per week but volunteers are permitted to do a maximum of 10. The commitment is for one semester or a 3-month minimum period with the option to volunteer for longer.
Applications for volunteer positions for summer 2023 are now open. Please apply through this link.
Questions?
For questions regarding the LiveChat Volunteer Program and applications, please contact our Training and Pro Bono Coordinator, Meagan Clark at mclark@laaconline.org
For administrative inquiries or if you are an attorney interested in providing resources or getting involved, please contact our Legal Design Senior Attorney, Alison Corn at acorn@laaconline.org
For questions about resources, please contact our Senior Technology and Program Associate, Linda Fernandez at lfernandez@laaconline.org