VOLS Pro Bono Library

Welcome to the VOLS Pro Bono Library. To find Project-specific volunteer support resources, navigate the tabs below.

Immigration Project

Immigration Project

Volunteers with the VOLS Immigration Project provide immigration services to undocumented youth in New York City including DACA Initials & Renewals, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, asylum, adjustment of status, and naturalization as well as derivative citizenship applications.

Immigration Project Resources

Incarcerated Mothers Law Project

Incarcerated Mothers Law Project

Volunteers with the Incarcerated Mothers Law Project provide legal advice to incarcerated and recently released women in Taconic, Rikers, and Bedford Correctional Facilities. Family law topics include visitation, contact, custody, and reunification.

Incarcerated Mothers Law Project Resource List

Basics of Family Law for Incarcerated Mothers and Parents
Family Law Deeper Dives
Requesting Court Records
Court Resources
Client Information Release Forms
Setting Up Legal Calls in Prisons and Jails in NYS
For IMLP Volunteer Attorney Use
Other Links

Videos

Further Reading

Microenterprise Project

Microenterprise Project

Volunteers with the VOLS Microenterprise Project counsel underserved microentrepreneurs in transactional matters related to the start up or operation of their business, engage in community legal education through workshops and creation of accessible resources, and provide critical COVID-19 crisis recovery services to ensure small business survival.

Microenterprise Project Resources

Senior Law Project

Senior Law Project

Volunteers with the VOLS Senior Law Project work with low-income seniors and older veterans to draft and execute critical documents to help them plan for end of life and/or incapacity, including Last Wills & Testaments, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies and other advance directives.

The VOLS Senior Law Project includes our Veterans Initiative and La Extensión Comunitaria Para Adultos Mayores.

Senior Law Project

Documents

Checklists

Videos

Voluntary Administration

Office Hours

  • Weekly Senior Law Project Office Hours:  1pm on Thursdays (Zoom Meeting ID: 851 3636 8444)

Benefits Law Project

Benefits Law Project

Volunteers with the VOLS Benefits Law Project provide culturally competent legal services to help low-income New Yorkers more equitably access the benefits to which they are entitled.

Benefits Law Project Resources

Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Trainings :

 

 

Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption &
Disability Rent Increase Exemption

Trainings :

Important Forms and Samples

Unemployment Insurance Benefits

 

Tools :

 

Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption &
Disability Rent Increase Exemption

Current Pro Bono Opportunities

VOLS Pro Bono Opportunities

Below are the pro bono opportunities currently available from the Volunteers of Legal Service team. If you are interested in an opportunity below, please email Pro Bono Specialist, Adama Fonah, (afonah@volsprobono.org), and we will send you a review file. In order to provide timely representation, we kindly request that you clear conflicts and confirm placement within one week after you receive the review file.

Volunteers with the Immigration Project, Senior Law Project & Veteran’s Initiative, and Unemployed Workers Project are not expected to have substantive experience with those areas of law. VOLS provides all necessary training materials, model documents, and mentorship.

Updated as of 4/9/2025

Senior Law Project

WILLS MATTERS

Client: Marie B.
Summary: Marie is a single female in her early seventies with one child. She wishes to name her cousin and her friend to all of the pivotal roles. She rents a Section 8 apartment. She has a mobility issue and needs a home visit.
Legal Needs: Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney, Control of Remains, Health Care Proxy and Living Will 

Client: Florence U.
Summary: Florence is an 81-year-old single woman with one child from whom she is estranged. She would like to leave her estate to her grandchildren and her partner and to name her friend in pivotal roles. Her income consists of Social Security and a small pension, and she owns the HDFC co-op in which she lives.
Legal Needs: Last Will & Testament, Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Living Will, Control of Remains

Client: Rosa M.
Summary: Rosa is a 99-year-old widow with five children. She would like to leave her estate to one of her children and to appoint the same in pivotal roles. Her income consists of Social Security and a pension, she has minimal resources, and she rents her apartment in Brooklyn. She is currently in Fairview Rehab & Nursing Home in Queens but intends to return to her apartment. She will need a visit to either the nursing home or her apartment depending on when she is discharged.
Legal Needs: Last Will & Testament, Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney, Control of Remains

Client: Lee B.
Summary: Lee is a 95-year-old single woman with no children. She would like to leave her estate to her social services agency and to name her neighbor in pivotal roles. Her income consists of Social Security and a small pension, and she lives in her limited equity co-op apartment in Chelsea. She is unable to travel via public transit due to her osteoarthritis, but she is able to travel if a car service is provided for her.
Legal Needs: Last Will & Testament, Power of Attorney, Living Will, Control of Remains

OFFICE HOURS
The Senior Law Project team hosts virtual office hours over Zoom every Thursday from 1-2PM. Our staff are always available to answer questions about your cases over email or on the phone, but we also wanted to set up this forum to make it as convenient as possible to ask any questions you may have and meet the VOLS staff. The office hours do not require pre-registration, and you can join the meeting any time during the hour. Please find the Zoom link here.

Microenterprise Project

CONTRACTS

Client: Lindsay H.
Business Description:  Baking has been Lindsay’s passion since her teenage years. She started her baking business in a small kitchen, selling pies to friends and family. Her brand has grown into a beloved name, known for its handmade pies. Recently, a bakery based in England reached out with interest in licensing the trademark to use the name for their own line of baked goods. They’ve sent over a proposal, and Lindsay is now looking for someone to review the offer and advise her on how best to protect her brand and navigate this potential partnership.
Legal Needs: Lindsay seeks a consultation about signing a trademark license agreement.

Client: Ariel F/ Group Home
Business Description: A group of aspiring entrepreneurs—many of whom are older adults, people of color, and first-time business owners—were misled by a social media influencer who sells high-priced courses promising wealth-building strategies. The influencer convinced them that forming a company to build and operate a group home would allow them to multiply their life savings. Trusting his promises, the group paid him thousands of dollars over time for ongoing guidance and support in building the business. The group formed a legal entity and contributed significant personal savings to get the business off the ground. However, they have since realized that the business model was poorly conceived, and the venture is not viable. They now wish to dissolve the entity, recover their capital contributions, and formally release each other from any further obligations.
Legal Needs: Legal support will involve reviewing the entity’s operating agreement; drafting necessary amendments and dissolution resolutions; preparing a mutual release agreement for all members to formally withdraw and relinquish claims.

ENTITY FORMATION

Client: Gina O. – SW LLC
Business Description: Working on her business model for almost a decade, Gina is finally ready to move to the next stage and begin forming her first of many technology companies. To begin creating her “interconnected hub”, she would like to legal form and publicly launch SW an AI-powered operating business for self-actualization, wellness, fintech, and media, whose target audience would be young businesswomen.
Legal Needs: The client would like assistance forming a Delaware LLC.  

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Client: Netta S. / Domingo Labs
Business Description: After creating small batch products for her personal use and giving the leftovers to close friends and family, Netta was encouraged to begin her own company to help others manage various skin issues. Providing quality products has led to her company’s extensive success in just over a year, and she is now ready to take her brand to the next level.
Legal Needs: Netta requests assistance with registering a trademark for the brand name and company logo.  

Immigration Project

WEEKLY VIRTUAL BRIEFING ON IMMIGRATION

In today’s rapidly shifting immigration landscape, we recognize the challenge for pro bono attorneys to stay current. To support you, our Immigration Project team is offering weekly virtual briefings to analyze recent legal and policy changes and discuss their implications for your pro bono cases under our mentorship.
Our April sessions will take place on Tuesdays from 1PM – 2PM (ET), our next session will take place on Tuesday, April 15.

Even if you registered for the March series, you will need to re-register for the April series

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QA3JW5gYTq2rB4f4sR3cWQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Feel free to share the registration links with colleagues at your firm who may be interested.

Please note that these briefings will not be recorded to encourage open and candid discussion

ASYLUM

Client: TB
Description: TB is a 29-year-old citizen of Guinea who entered the United States in October 2023. He fled Guinea after being beaten, arrested, and detained by the police due to his involvement with a political party opposed to the current president. After his release from prison, TB ceased his political activities out of fear for his safety. However, the police later came to his home, threatened him and his family, and continued to harass him. Fearing for his life, TB ultimately fled to the United States. A pro se asylum application has already been filed with assistance from VOLS staff. TB is now seeking legal representation for his upcoming Master Calendar and Individual Hearings in New York City, with the first hearing scheduled for August 2025.
Legal Needs: Representation in immigration court for asylum case.
Language Needs: TB is a Fulani/ Fula speaker. He would require a Fulani/ Fula speaking attorney or interpreter.

Client: AK
Description: AK is a 22 year old trans woman who fled Russia after being harmed and threatened due to her gender identity. She is in the removal process in immigration court and has already filed her initial asylum application. Her case is scheduled for an individual (final) hearing in August 2025. AK speaks English and is very responsive. This would be a perfect opportunity for summer associates.
Legal Needs: Representation in immigration court for asylum case.
Language Needs: AK speaks fluent English and does not need an interpreter for attorney/client meetings. She may decide to testify in her native language if that is more comfortable for her. If so, the immigration court will provide an interpreter.

LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT APPLICATION

 Client: SGG
Description: SGG is a 28-year-old citizen of Mexico and recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). SGG recently married her husband, JWR, who is a U.S. citizen. SGG and JWR are high school sweethearts who have been together for over ten years. JWR would like to petition for SGG to become a lawful permanent resident and safely remain in the U.S. 
Legal Needs: Marriage based petition and adjustment of status application. 
Language Needs: SGG and JWH are English speakers.

VOLS PRO BONO RESOURCE POLICY

The materials posted here are proprietary and were developed by VOLS for use by its pro bono attorneys. These materials are intended to be used by licensed attorneys who have been trained in the subject matter and who are properly supervised by VOLS or another expert in the field. By accessing the resources in the VOLS Pro Bono Library, you acknowledge that you are currently taking on a pro bono matter with VOLS, and that you will not share or use the materials in the library with anyone outside of your firm or use them for any other purpose. Please contact our Pro Bono Specialist, Adama Fonah (afonah@volsprobono.org), with any questions.

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