Massachusetts Advocates for Children
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To Volunteer, Contact:
Janine Solomon
- Organization Type: Nonprofit Legal Services Provider
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Location:
25 Kingston St.Suite 2FBoston, MA 02111
- Phone: 617-357-8431
- Website: https://massadvocates.org/volunteer/
MAC is a mission-driven nonprofit law firm dedicated to removing barriers to educational and life opportunities for Massachusetts children and youth. Based in Boston, and serving the state of Massachusetts, we employ a racial equity lens to improve educational options for all young people, while also helping individual families overcome barriers to education for their children. MAC uses a combination of strategies from individual case representation to policy advocacy to advance change on systemic and individual levels.
MAC has always maintained a panel of private bar attorneys to take special education cases for children with disabilities of low-income clients on a pro bono basis. MAC identifies appropriate cases from calls to its Helpline and seeks an attorney willing and able to provide legal representation. MAC is seeking both attorneys to volunteer for the Helpline and those who are able to help with legal research or take on individual cases.
Listing and projects up-to-date as of March 2024.
- State(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: Massachusetts
- Area of law: Civil Rights, Disability, Education, Family & Juvenile, Special education, school expulsion
- Populations Served: Children, Communities of Color, Individuals with physical/mental disabilities, Juveniles, Low Income, Persons with Disabilities, parents and guardians of children with disabilities
- Opportunities For: Law Students, Lawyers, Mentors, Nonlitigation Projects, Paralegals, Senior Lawyers, Small and medium law firm attorneys
- Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Flexible
- Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: Yes
- Training Provided: Yes
- Training Required: No
- CLE credit for trainings: No
- Training / Supervision Comments: Mentoring by MAC staff and private attorneys, training manuals and videos. Training may be required for attorneys new to special education,
- CLE credit for pro bono: No
- Mentoring or supervision offered: Yes
- Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: Yes
- Other Case Load Requirements: 1 case
- Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Draft legal documents (e.g., briefs), Legal Research, Litigation: Appellate, Litigation: Support (e.g., discovery), Prepare legal education materials
- Other Project Types: Litigation: administrative hearings at the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA)
- Long Distance Opportunities: Conduct Research, Draft or Translate Legal Documents, Mentor Volunteer Lawyers
- Other Long Distance Opportunities: Helpline
- Volunteers may participate long-distance: Yes
