Pro Bono Opportunities

The School of Law provides for-credit pro bono opportunities, and will identify not-for-credit opportunities available in the Western New York region. Any questions about not-for-credit opportunities should be directed to Vice Dean Melinda Saran.

For-Credit Not-for-Credit

Not-for-Credit Opportunities

These opportunities fulfill your fifty-hour pro bono requirement through volunteering with one of these agencies.  You could also learn valuable skills to enhance your ability to become practice-ready.  These opportunities are not credit-bearing nor are they paid positions.  Some of these legal service offices have limitations on the number of law students they can accommodate and others require you to make a commitment of a certain amount of time.

The opportunities below are listed geographically: Erie County (Buffalo),  Chautauqua County (Jamestown), Genesee County, Monroe County (Rochester), and Niagara County.  

Note: Many of the offices listed below have adjusted their hours in response to COVID-19. For current information regarding free assistance offered by legal service providers, see "COVID-19 and Free Assistance Provided by Legal service Providers."

Erie County (Buffalo)

Center for Elder Law & Justice
 438 Main Street, Suite 1200, Buffalo, NY 14202-3208
716-853-3087
Pro Bono Contact:  Director of Pro Bono Programs, Amanda Warner, at 716-835-3087 ext. 241, or via email at awarner@elderjusticeny.org

Opportunities include: Housing (tax and mortgage foreclosure, eviction defense), Elder Abuse Prevention, Consumer (fraud and scams that target the elderly), Family (relative custody, grandparents rights, and kinship care issues), Veteran’s Support, Substituted Decision-Making, Income Maintenance, and Health Care.

 

Erie County Bar Association
Volunteer Lawyers Project Inc.
 438 Main St. 7th Floor, Buffalo, New York 14202,
716-847-0662

Pro Bono Contacts:
Maria Valeri, Pro Bono Recruitment Coordinator,
716-847-0662 x 321, mvaleri@ecbavlp.com

Opportunities include:

  • Unemployment Insurance Benefits project representation
  • Family Court help desk at Erie County Family Court or telephone consultations for other counties
  • Housing Court - Attorney of the Morning HUB Court for Erie County
  • Housing Helpline (for Residents in the eight counties of Western New York)
  • Say Yes Legal Clinics
  • Federal Court Pro Se Assistance Program

 

Journey’s End Refugee Services, Inc.
 2495 Main Street, Suite 530, Buffalo, NY 14214
882-4963, ext. 203
Contact: Emily Riordan, Managing Attorney, eriordan@jersbuffalo.org

Opportunities include: asylum applications and work authorization.

 

Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Inc. 
 290 Main Street, Suite 450, Buffalo, NY 14202
716-853-9555

Opportunities include:

  • Criminal Appeal
    Appeals and Post-Convictions Unit
    Pro Bono Contact: Erin Tresmond, Chief Appeals and Post-Convictions, etresmond@legalaidbuffalo.org

  • Family Court in-court attorney assistance
    Attorney for the Child Unit
    Pro Bono Contact:
    Judith Gerber, Chief Attorney, Attorneys for Children Unit, jgerber@legalaidbuffalo.org
  • Civil Legal Services
    (Reentry from incarceration, Domestic Violence rapid response - family and financial issues
    Immigrant/refugee issues - working with settlement agencies, Veteran’s issues - legal check-up, LGBTQ issues)
    Pro Bono Contacts:
    Nadine Patterson, Chief Attorney Civil Legal Service, npatterson@legalaidbuffalo.org

 

Mental Health Advocates
 1021 Broadway St., Fifth Floor, Buffalo, NY 14212
716-886-1242
Pro Bono Contact: Ed Martnshin, Director, Legal Services; 716-886-1242 x324, emartnshin@mhawny.org

 

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS)
237 Main Street, 4th Floor, Buffalo, New York 14203
716-847-0650

Opportunities include:

  • Attorney of the morning
    Pro Bono Contact: Grace Andriette, Housing Unit Supervisor, gandriette@nls.org
    Location: Buffalo City Court, Housing Court
    Date/Time: Tuesday and Thursday mornings
  • Housing, Public Benefits, Family Law and Disability Advocacy Project
     Pro Bono Contact: Katelyn E. Niedermier, Staff Attorney, kniedermier@nls.org
  • Location: Buffalo office
    Date/Time: Flexible

 

Western New York Law Center Inc.
 37 Franklin St., 2nd Floor, Buffalo, NY 14202
 716-855-0203
Contact: Joseph Keleman, Esq., Executive Director

Opportunities include:

Chautauqua County (Jamestown)

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.
 115 East Third St., Jamestown, NY 14701 (Chautauqua County)
103 South Barry St., Olean, NY 14760 (Cattaraugus County)
Pro Bono Contact: doprobono@lawny.org or https://sites.google.com/a/nyprobono.org/home/volunteers/law-students

Genesee County

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS)
 5073 Clinton Street Road, Batavia, New York 14020
585-343-5450
Pro Bono Contact: John Zonitch, jzonitch@wnylc.com

Monroe County (Rochester)

Empire Justice Center
 Telesca Center for Justice
One West Main Street, Suite 200, Rochester, NY 14614
585-454-4060

The Legal Aid Society of Rochester
 One West Main Street, Suite 800, Rochester, New York 14614
585-232-4090

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.
 One West Main Street, 4th Floor, Rochester, NY 14614
585-325-2520
To volunteer, please apply online or email doprobono@lawny.org

JustCause
 1 West Main Street, Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14614
585-232-3051
Pro Bono Contact: Executive Director or any VLSP Staff Attorney at 585-232-3051

Worker Justice Center of New York (formerly Farmworkers Legal Services Project)
1187 Culver Road, Rochester, NY 14609
585-325-3050 (Ext. 12)
Opportunity: Student will obtain hands on experience working with worker advocacy primarily with migrant and immigrant populations throughout Western New York. Areas include employment and wage issues and representing migrant workers in domestic violence and human trafficking cases.

Niagara County

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS)
225 Old Falls Street, Suite 3A  Niagara Falls, New York 14302
716-284-8831
Pro Bono Contact: Sandra Fudala, sfudala@nls.org or (716) 847-0650, ext. 212