Because of Iowa Legal Aid's limited resources, not all who need assistance can be served by the program. Each year, 13,500 people in need of help must either be turned away or given less help than really required to resolve their legal problems. Volunteer lawyers provide pro bono services to clients eligible for assistance who would otherwise be without the assistance of an attorney. After screening for income and resource eligibility as well as type and merit of legal problem, cases are referred by Iowa Legal Aid and placed with volunteer lawyers through your local pro bono delivery program. As a volunteer lawyer, you determine types of legal problems to consider taking and decide if you will accept a specific case referred to you for pro bono assistance. Click here for a list of benefits afforded to volunteer attorneys. 

Iowa Legal Aid's Volunteer Lawyers Project now has CLE On-Demand available for purchase!  Members of Iowa's Volunteer Lawyers Projects can use the code iowamem35 for a 35% discount off the course price. And the first 20 users who purchase courses can use the code first20ilaw for an additional 10% off their cart.
Click here to start your on-demand learning now!

---

Upcoming CLEs - Click images for more information!

Local Attorney Brings Justice to Rural Iowa

Local attorney David Wiederstein is a dedicated and effective lawyer in Atlantic, Iowa.  He has been licensed to practice in Iowa for over 10 years.  Over the last several years, he has dedicated many hours of his time and legal acumen to helping residents in rural southwestern Iowa who are struggling to make ends meet.  For his efforts, Wiederstein has been named this month’s Volunteer Lawyers Project’s VIP.

Wiederstein first started volunteering through Iowa Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Project in 2011, taking referrals for clients who are eligible for services and at a high risk of being taken advantage of through the civil justice system.  Since then, he has accepted several referrals a year from Iowa Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Project, contributing nearly 40 hours of time and negotiating positive outcomes for each of his clients.  Due to his willingness to consider referrals from such a wide geographical area, he has helped many people in rural Iowa who would otherwise not have been able to access legal help for their case.

Meg Norberg, Managing Attorney of Iowa Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Project, says Wiederstein is a valued member of the Project.  “David Wiederstein’s willingness to help clients, even from the far reaches of southwest Iowa, is vital to our ability to make access to justice a reality for all.  We are so thankful for David’s generosity and support.”