Volunteer Opportunities

**Due to limited staff and resources at the moment, LSNC may not have volunteer opportunities available. Additionally, response times may be slower than usual.**

Given the huge demand for civil legal services in our community and Legal Services of Northern California's (LSNC) limited resources, we depend on the work of our volunteers to address what would otherwise be a large unmet need.  We welcome volunteers with all levels of experience and substantive backgrounds who are willing to put their skills to use serving this critical need. Training and supervision are provided to all volunteers.  For attorney volunteers, your work as a LSNC volunteer is covered by our malpractice insurance.

Opportunities for Attorneys

You can volunteer in one of our local offices. These volunteer opportunities are generally available during standard business hours (8:30am - 5:00pm) and provide volunteers the chance to work on a wide range of tasks determined by the needs of the office, including conducting intake interviews, providing advice, representing clients in ongoing matters, and conducting legal research and writing.  These placements require a minimum weekly commitment of 4 hours per week for a minimum of 3 months.

You can serve as part of our Pro Bono Panel. On occasion, clients come to our offices with an issue in an area where we lack substantive expertise, with matter that we lack the resources to take on due to time other constraints, or with a case where LSNC has a conflict. In these situations, we make every attempt to refer the case out to an attorney willing to accept the matter on a pro bono basis. LSNC provides significant administrative and other supports for our Pro Bono Panel attorneys when they accept a case on referral, and it is always your choice to accept a particular case or not.

Opportunities for Non-Attorneys

LSNC has opportunities for individuals interested in volunteering their time but who are not attorneys. Opportunities for non-attorneys might include clerical work, fundraising or development work, and providing interpretation or translation services. If you have an idea for how you would like to volunteer your time with LSNC on behalf of our clients, you are welcome to share it.

Opportunities for Law Students

LSNC has wonderful volunteer opportunities available for law students both during the summer and during the semester in both our local offices and with our special projects. Spending a semester or a summer with LSNC gives law students an unparalleled opportunity to gain varied experience in a legal office, as well as significant experience counseling clients under the supervision of a seasoned LSNC attorney.

We have a structured and competitive selection process for law student volunteers with set deadlines for applications. Please refer to our current position announcements for the most up-to-date opportunities.