The Pro Bono Challenge was launched in Fresno by Chief Justice Ronald M. George to challenge attorneys, law students and the legal community to volunteer and increase the level of pro bono services provided to legal aid clients. Numerous studies show that when it comes to accessing the judicial system by low-income individuals, there is always more of a demand for services than legal aid programs can provide. Recognizing the special needs of legal aid clients, pro bono activities focus on providing access to the justice system for persons who would otherwise be unable to afford it.
You can do your part to help the most vulnerable in our community obtain equal access to the justice system and sign up to be a volunteer at the following website: centralvalleyprobono.org. This website is a joint project of Central California Legal Services (CCLS), OneJustice, and Pro Bono Net. Through this site, CCLS supports attorneys, law firms, and law students who donate their time and/or resources in providing legal assistance to low-income seniors, individuals, and families.
By signing up to be a volunteer, you will be helping Central California Legal Services Inc. (CCLS) provide the working poor, immigrants, families with young children, persons with disabilities, veterans, survivors of domestic violence and elder abuse, seniors, and other low-income individuals of Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Merced, Mariposa, and Tuolumne Counties with free legal services to move us toward making “equal justice for all” a reality.
The type of pro bono work individual attorneys and law firms can provide through the Pro Bono Challenge are invaluable to our clients. The pro bono assistance can be done through legal clinics, legal research and writing, limited scope and direct representation on individual cases and actions involving major litigation.
