I remember when I first became a lawyer how eager I was to help anyone and everyone. Now, a little over five years have passed and my eagerness has been overshadowed by life and by the many responsibilities that consume my day. Many of us find ourselves thinking, “Volunteering, I don’t have time for that,” or “I’m a family law attorney, I can’t advise someone on landlord-tenant issues.”

In the daunting “entirety” of our lives, we have many obligations and responsibilities to fulfill, but there are ways we attorneys can help those in the community without having to invest substantial time. And even though our license to practice law does not make us experts in every field of law, we are capable of spotting the issue and from there we can point someone in the right direction.

This month, MCBA together with the Marin County Law Library takes this concept—that we can each use our skills to enable greater access to justice—and launches Lawyers in the Library. It’s a new program that offers us the opportunity to help our community by giving just two hours of our time.

On the second and fourth Thursday of every month, in the Marin County Law Library from 4:30-6:30pm, attorneys will perform 20-minute consultations in the areas of family, probate, civil, small claims, and landlord-tenant matters. There is no requirement that you volunteer every month. A same-day orientation is provided when you volunteer.

I have volunteered for the Contra Costa County Lawyers in the Library program and it has been rewarding. Oftentimes, we attorneys forget that we possess many skills that the average self-represented litigant does not. As a volunteer attorney, your main challenge might be identifying the issue. The litigant may think she has a family law issue when actually it involves a guardianship and the issue is a probate matter. Or, you may encounter a homeowner who wants to know if he has to pay half of the cost to repair his fence simply because his neighbor wants to put in a new one.

Now, you may say, “Well, what if I cannot help them in 20 minutes or less?” What you can offer is guidance and clarity. At the end of the consultation, the problem may not be solved, but the litigant can leave with a course of action. You may suggest that they contact an attorney or you may suggest that they contact a community service organization that can assist them further. Whatever course of action you prescribe, I can assure you the litigants will leave feeling that they were heard and that they are a step closer to resolving the issue that brought them to ask for help in the first place. The matter at hand may appear small or insignificant to you, but trust that the skills and guidance you can offer are invaluable and greatly needed.

And so I encourage you try it out. Sign up for one session of Lawyers in the Library and make a difference in someone’s life in just one afternoon.