Creating and Sustaining Lawyer for the Day Programs in Housing Court
In February, 2018, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and the Massachusetts Bar Association convened a statewide forum on Creating and Sustaining Lawyer for the Day Programs in Housing Court.
As the Housing Court begins to expand to new areas of the state, there is a need to start new Lawyer for the Day Programs for both tenants and landlords. There is also an opportunity to think about how to strengthen existing programs. While every Lawyer for the Day (LFD) program has access to different resources and local partners, there are similar ingredients that make for success.
The convening brought together legal services, bar associations, law libraries, Housing Court Judges and staff, Court Service Centers, private attorneys, law schools, and community agencies to exchange information about what resources are needed to sustain Lawyer for the Day programs and to discuss strategies to support, recruit, and train volunteer attorneys.
Convening Materials:
As the Housing Court begins to expand to new areas of the state, there is a need to start new Lawyer for the Day Programs for both tenants and landlords. There is also an opportunity to think about how to strengthen existing programs. While every Lawyer for the Day (LFD) program has access to different resources and local partners, there are similar ingredients that make for success.
The convening brought together legal services, bar associations, law libraries, Housing Court Judges and staff, Court Service Centers, private attorneys, law schools, and community agencies to exchange information about what resources are needed to sustain Lawyer for the Day programs and to discuss strategies to support, recruit, and train volunteer attorneys.
Convening Materials:
- Lawyer for a Day Next Steps Form
- Word Document for Your LFD Program to Help Clients Keep Track of Next Steps
- Lawyer for a Day Program Housing Court Standing Order
- Reducing the Civil "Justice Gap" by Enhancing the Delivery of Pro Bono Legal Assistance to Indigent Pro Se Litigants, by Andrew Cohn
Photos by Pat Olier, Massachusetts Bar Association
