Volunteers - Legal Community

Partners for Women and Justice offers three pro bono opportunities for lawyers in the private sector in New Jersey.

Pro Bono Legal Representation

Any attorney can participate in our Pro Bono Legal Representation programs. A background in family law is not required. Partners provides training in the substantive and procedural law of domestic violence, child support, visitation/custody and divorce. In addition, while handling a case, volunteer attorneys have access to ongoing support from the staff at Partners and mentors, who are experienced family law attorneys. These programs provide volunteer attorneys with an opportunity to handle their own cases and to get into court on their own.

Attorneys who give 25 or more hours on a yearly basis to our Pro Bono programs are eligible for an exemption from a Madden v. Delran assignment.

mPower Legal Clinics

Attorneys who practice family law can participate in our mPower Legal Clinics, free clinics where a woman can meet one-on-one with a knowledgeable, volunteer attorney to have questions answered, court papers reviewed, obtain procedural guidance, obtain legal advice about her case, or receive a referral to another organization or a different Partners’ program. The mPower Legal Clinics are normally held on a Saturday from 9 am – 12 pm.

Mentors

Family law attorneys can also volunteer as mentors to the attorneys who participate in our Pro Bono Legal Representation programs. Each mentor is assigned to a firm and agrees to be available to answer questions from volunteer attorneys from that firm – questions that have not been addressed in our training or cannot be answered by Partners’ staff.