Citizen Law Firm is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to offering the legal assistance of qualified attorneys, at no cost to those who otherwise cannot afford an attorney. Citizen law firm is run by a team of attorneys, paralegals, and law students who provide pro bono legal services to clients in need.
We work with a variety of clients including foreclosed homeowners who are struggling to keep their homes or are facing eviction due to an unintentional lapse in mortgage payments. We also represent victims of domestic abuse, veterans fighting for VA benefits, and others struggling under the weight of debt. Besides providing legal advice on individual cases we also try to address systemic problems through advocacy campaigns on issues such as access to post-conviction DNA testing for death row inmates and fair lending practices by banks.
We think that anyone who has a legal problem should have access to an attorney and we’re committed to making sure you can get the resources you need. We organized this blog post with the hope that it will answer some questions about our organization and what we can do for you.
How Much Do You Know about Citizen Law Firm :
1. What is The Citizen Law Firm?
Citizen Law Firm is a nonprofit, public interest law firm that provides free legal services to those who otherwise cannot afford an attorney. Our mission is to make our community a more just and peaceful place for everyone through the implementation of progressive social change and community empowerment.
2. What does a Citizen Law Firm do?
The primary function of Citizen Law Firm is to provide pro bono legal services. But we also help educate the public about issues like civil liberties and social justice, and promote campaigns that reduce systemic injustice in our society through service, direct advocacy, legislative research, litigation and fundraising. In 2011 we were awarded $100k by the Heiskell Foundation to fund foreclosure defense outreach. We also have a solid track record of raising additional funds through foundations and private donors.
3. What services do you provide?
We primarily address the following types of cases: Foreclosure, Domestic Violence and other issues related to housing, Consumer Debt (Medical Bills, Collections), Bankruptcy, Consumer Protection, Bankruptcy Disability Issues, Employment & Labor Law (Wage Claims & Unemployment), Public Benefits and Immigration Issues. We are also available for consultation on other civil cases. Citizen Law Firm does not take cases that involve criminal charges or litigation in the family court system. Click here to review a full list of our practice areas .
4. How are cases handled?
We do our work through either a fee-only practice or by accepting representation on a pro bono basis. Our hope is to expand our services in the future to include counseling for debt management as well as other legal services that align with our mission of public service. We currently have on staff several attorneys, paralegals, and law students. The attorneys all have at least 4 years experience practicing law and are rated highly by peers in legal directories. The paralegals and law students have at least 2 years of experience with one or more pro bono projects they worked on in school. You can review our attorney’s bio here.
5. What kind of cases do you take?
We are able to take cases that involve almost every practice area of law. We have experience handling personal injury, corporate law, wills and estates, family law, criminal defense and estate planning. Our experience in litigating wills and estates means that we are very familiar with the probate process and can help you navigate what is often a stressful time in your life. If you’re facing eviction we can file a complaint to stop the eviction and negotiate a fair settlement with the landlord. And if you’re facing a debt collection agency we can help you negotiate your debts and find out whether the debt is legitimate and actually collectable.
6. Is there anything I should know before I contact you?
Yes! We are always looking for new volunteers and pro bono attorneys to help us in our work. We also have pro bono interns and fellows that we send on projects throughout the year.
7. Where can I find out more information?
You can find additional information about our history and mission on our website. Our case file library for foreclosures was recently featured in the Huffington Post and is available here. If you would prefer a summary version of this blog post, consider downloading the PDF version here.
