MCBA Pro Bono and Community Outreach Committees

Consider honoring Martin Luther King's legacy by volunteering on Friday, January 21st for a virtual Consumer Rights Legal Clinic. Virtual training for volunteer attorneys will be held on Wednesday, January 19th. Please see below for more information and to learn how to sign-up for the training and clinic.

The MCBA Pro Bono and Community Outreach Committees are supporting Legal Aid of Marin, Bay Area Legal Aid and Community Action Marin who are hosting this virtual consumer rights clinic.

About this Event:

Pro Bono Opportunity with Legal Aid of Marin (LAM): Virtual Consumer Rights Legal Clinic in Partnership with Community Action Marin (CAM) and Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) on Friday, January 21, 2022 (with training on Wednesday, January 19, 2022).

Why Volunteer?

Now, more than ever, people living in poverty are experiencing crushing debt and financial instability. COVID has increased financial inequity in the communities we serve. Economic disparity in Marin County is one of the largest in the nation: while the median household income is $115,000, 7.2% of the county’s population lives below the federal poverty line. Consumer empowerment is pivotal to protecting one’s human dignity and security, as financial insecurity significantly impacts access to housing, mental and physical health outcomes, and foundational stability.

LAM is teaming up with CAM and BayLegal to pair pre-screened participants identified by CAM Success Coaches with volunteer attorneys who will provide limited consumer rights consultations addressing debt collection, options for debt resolution, and crediting reporting. Additionally, pro bono attorneys will learn how to identify circumstances where it might make sense for a participant to consult with a bankruptcy attorney.

Training Offered for Volunteer Attorneys (1.5 CLE):

In preparation for the clinic, BayLegal and LAM will offer a virtual consumer rights training for volunteer attorneys on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at 4:30 PM. Volunteer attorneys will learn about basic consumer rights law including: what actions debt collectors can and cannot take; options to resolve debts; bankruptcy issue spotting; and credit reporting. The training will also include a segment on best practices when working with people experiencing financial instability. On January 21, 2022, volunteer attorneys will use what they learned at the training to provide virtual consultations to clinic participants pre-screened by CAM. Supervising attorneys from BayLegal and a bankruptcy attorney will be available to assist volunteer attorneys during participant consultations.

The consumer clinic will have two sessions on Friday, January 21, 2022: one from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM and another from 2:00 PM-5:00 PM. Ideally, volunteers will be available for both sessions. If volunteer attorneys are unable to volunteer for the whole day, we ask that they select either the entire morning or afternoon session.

Interested in signing up to provide critical consumer rights services to Marin County residents? Have questions when considering whether to join us?

Click here for the FRI Jan 21st flyer.

Note: Your Zoom link will be sent beginning January 17th