The New York City Bar Association's Committee on Legal Services for Persons of Moderate Means is seeking volunteer attorneys to staff the Monday Night Law clinic, which begins its 20th year this fall.

New volunteers are needed for the MNL year, which will run from October 2010 through August 2011. Volunteers are assigned one Monday per month during that period. A two-part, 6.5 hour training, will be held over two nights, on Monday Sept. 20 and Sept. 27.

Monday Night Law addresses the need for affordable and accessible legal assistance in a clinic setting each week. During 30-minute appointments, clients and volunteer attorneys discuss problems in the areas of housing, employment, family/divorce, consumer, and personal bankruptcy, as well as small business.

The volunteer attorneys do not take any cases, but they distribute materials, provide explanations and suggestions to help clients understand and find solutions to their legal problems, and make referrals, where appropriate, to the New York City Bar Association's Legal Referral Service, the City Bar Justice Center, or other legal services providers.

Volunteer attorneys must commit to attending the program one Monday evening per month from October 2010 through the end of August 2011, at the bar association. Volunteers also must attend both training sessions, from 5:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., on the dates above, also at the bar association.

Attendees are eligible for continuing legal education for the live trainings, as well as pro bono CLE credits for their clinic work. Volunteers may take the training via CD audio recordings that will be available later this fall, but the audio does not carry CLE credit.

No prior experience in the topics covered is necessary; however, volunteers must have been admitted to practice for a minimum of two years. For more information and an application to participate, please provide full contacts including an E-mail address that accepts attachments to MondayNightLaw@gmail.com. The application form and background information will be sent by E-mail on a rolling basis beginning in mid-August, with applications due at the end of the month.

All training course materials also will be sent by E-mail attachment in advance of the programs.

Thank you for your interest.