Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Inc.

  • Location:
    235 Peachtree St, NE
    Suite 1750 North Tower
    Atlanta, GA 30303
  • Phone: 404-521-0790
  • Fax: 404-521-3434
  • Website: http://www.avlf.org

The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF) coordinates the provision of free civil legal services for low-income Fulton County residents by private lawyers. Each year, more than 15,000 potential clients contact our office for help. Over 4000 of these individuals receive legal advice or representation from our staff or from the 400-600 annual attorney volunteers and law students who work with us.

AVLF currently administers several pro bono projects.

The Saturday Lawyer Program provides low-income people in Fulton and Clayton Counties with access to high-quality legal representation by trained volunteer attorneys in three areas vital to economic security: landlord-tenant disputes, unpaid wage claims, and debt defense.

The Safe Families Office provides consultation services for survivors of intimate partner violence to get information about their legal options and referrals for other appropriate assistance. Each appointment also includes safety planning advice and focuses on respecting the survivor's opinions and goals. If filing a civil temporary protective order is appropriate and desired, we offer assistance with completing the legal documents, and in appropriate circumstances, we offer direct representation to petitioners. We also offer direct representation to some who seek family law assistance required as a consequence of the grant of a protective order.

The Eviction Defense Program provides low-income and unrepresented tenants facing eviction with attorneys to represent them in court in their critical time of need.

The Dollars for Judgments Program places creditors' rights attorneys to work on behalf of low-income clients who have obtained a judgment as a result of an injustice done to them.

The Guardian ad Litem Program provides a guardian at the request of Fulton Superior Court Judges in contested custody disputes.

The Probate Information Center is a legal resource where participants may receive legal advice about probate issues surrounding a deceased loved one.

*NEW*- The Standing With Our Neighbors Program offers legal support and representation to tenants in Thomasville Heights in south Atlanta, especially to those families with children in Thomasville Heights Elementary School and to those with children suffering from pediatric asthma as a consequence of living in substandard housing. This place-based program works at the intersection of housing, education and health.

In every program, AVLF provides training to the volunteers and supervision throughout the course of the representation.

  • County(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: Clayton, Fulton
  • Area of law: Consumer, Debt/Credit/Bankruptcy, Employment, Family & Juvenile, Housing, Life Planning, Domestic Violence
  • Populations Served: Children, Communities of Color, Domestic Violence Victims, Elderly, General Public, Immigrants, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Low Income, Micro-enterprises, Military/Veterans, Native Americans, Persons with Disabilities, State Residents, Women, Working poor and unemployed
  • Opportunities For: Law Students, Lawyers, Paralegals
  • Need for non-English services: Spanish
  • Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Evenings, Flexible, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Weekends
  • Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: Yes
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Training Required: Yes
  • CLE credit for trainings: Yes
  • CLE credit for pro bono: No
  • Mentoring or supervision offered: Yes
  • Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: No
  • Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), Client counseling (e.g., brief advice), Client intake and screening, Draft legal documents (e.g., briefs), Legislative or policy advocacy, Litigation: Support (e.g., discovery), Litigation: Trial/Direct Representation, Mentor volunteer lawyers or law students, Prepare legal education materials, Translate legal documents
  • Volunteers may participate long-distance: No
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