Heartland encourages Marion County lawyers and law students to participate in pro bono activities, whether offered by Heartland or another organization.
What We Do:
Heartland promotes equal access to justice for all Indiana residents, regardless of economic status, by creating and promoting opportunities for Marion County attorneys to provide pro bono civil legal services to persons of limited means. We only accept civil cases that have merit, but that have been rejected by another legal service organization due to a conflict or lack of resources. Although most of the cases we receive involve an aspect of family law, we also accept cases involving consumer issues, housing, bankruptcy, adult guardianships, small estates, and foreclosure defense.
Do you have a prospective client that you want to help, but who can’t afford you? We can turn that client into a Heartland Referral! Send us the client’s information; we’ll determine if the client is eligible for pro bono! If they meet our eligibility requirements, we will refer the case back to you, and provide malpractice coverage for the duration of the representation.
What We Offer:
- Screening and referral of eligible pro bono cases;
- Malpractice insurance for cases referred by Heartland or a Heartland-sponsored project;
- Continuing legal education on topics of interest to pro bono volunteers;
- Tracking hours spent on pro bono cases to assist attorneys with the new Rule 6.7 reporting requirements;
- Sample forms;
- Access to discounted fees for service (personal and/or copy service);
- Access to free/discounted use of Our Family Wizard;
- Mentoring for attorneys who have accepted a pro bono cases in a new area of law; and
- Access to Lexis/Nexis for no charge (benefit provided through the Indiana State Bar Association)
If you are an attorney that practices in Marion County and would like more information on becoming a pro bono volunteer for Heartland, please fill out our online form!
Not ready or able to take on an entire case right now?
There are other ways to do pro bono! We are always looking for CLE speakers, clinic volunteers, and even folks to help with administrative tasks. Of course, financial donations are also welcome!