The Third Judicial Pro Bono Committee and the Volunteer Attorney Program of New Mexico Legal Aid will be hosting a legal fair of the year on March 16 in person at the Organ Community Center, located at 5580 2nd St. in Organ, N.M 88052. Consultations will be on a first come, first served basis and will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MT).

Participants can earn one CLE credit for every three hours of volunteering!

If you have any questions, please contact Bella Zayani, Statewide Pro Bono Coordinator at [email protected].

Matching Challenge Doubles Your Gift to Equal Access to Justice

Thanks to the generosity of John Bigelow, former chief public defender in New Mexico, and Bruce Thompson, donate to Equal Access to Justice before March 31 and your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling your impact!

Here’s what inspired John Bigelow's challenge!

“I was fortunate to work as a law clerk and then later as a lawyer in the Office of Economic Opportunity legal services offices in Alaska and California. Those experiences, along with my role as New Mexico’s chief public defender, brought home to me the importance of legal services – both civil and criminal – for those without the means to provide their own. It is now fifty years since the Legal Services Corporation formally recognized at a federal level the need to help provide civil legal services across the country. To emphasize the continued tremendous value of civil legal services and advocate for increased funding, I am providing this $5,000 matching challenge.”

Which created a ripple effect inspiring Bruce Thompson!

“Learning of John Bigelow’s generous matching challenge snapped me out of my day-to-day legal work and caused me to reflect on some bigger things. John reminded me how important legal services are, both civil and criminal, for those who can’t afford it. So many around us lack the ability to stay clothed and housed, much less the means to protect themselves from unfair practices or to vindicate their basic rights in court. Equal Access to Justice provides one of the most basic essentials: dignity. To stand with John and all the others in support of this great project, I am joining him in providing another $5,000 to his matching challenge."

Gifts to Equal Access to Justice are 100% tax-deductible, and a perfect way to fulfill your pro-bono & professional obligations by supporting civil legal services. Donations can be made online at www.eaj-nm.org, or by mailing a check, payable to Equal Access to Justice, to PO Box 25941, Albuquerque, NM 87125. Donate by March 31!

NMILC Economic Justice Workshops 2024: Improving Economic Stability in Immigrant Communities with NMILC

Provide pro bono services with New Mexico Immigrant Law Center’s Economic Justice Workshop! This is a free pro se workshop for immigrant entrepreneurs seeking help with their business, no matter where they are in the process of forming their business. Brief advice/services include: obtaining an EIN, NMBTID, Articles of Organization, and city/county licenses.

Pro bono attorneys are trained on information specific to the immigrant community to prepare for providing brief/pro se services; attorneys are not asked to take on cases or provide ongoing support outside of scheduled workshop hours. Interpretation is provided as needed. 

Upcoming workshop dates:

Thursday, May 9, 4 - 6:30 p.m. (MT)

Location: NMILC Office (625 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87102)

NMILC Pro Bono Clinic for SIJS State Predicate Orders

Provide pro bono services with New Mexico Immigrant Law Center’s SIJS program. SIJS is a status available to some young immigrants that provides a path to lawful permanent residence for that child.

During the clinic, pro bono attorneys will be assigned uncontested kinship/guardianship or sole custody cases and will meet with the clients in-person to complete this first step of their case. NMILC will provide support/mentorship from experienced staff/pro bono attorneys, templates and step-by-step instructions to help you. No family law or immigration law experience is required.

At the clinic, pro bono attorneys will complete initial predicate order steps with one assigned SIJS client in-person. All pro bono attorneys participating in the clinic are expected to continue providing pro bono legal services on SIJS cases following the clinic (an estimated 15-20 hours of work over the course the of the following two to four months). 

Training resources, interpretation/translation, and pro bono mentorship are provided for all pro bono attorneys. If you have any questions, please email NMILC Volunteer/Pro Bono Program Manager, Delaney Swink, at [email protected].

When: Friday, April 26, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (MT)

Where: Modrall Sperling Law Office (Address: 500 4th St. NW #1000, Albuquerque, N.M. 87102)

The Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP) of New Mexico Legal Aid have multiple upcoming virtual FREE CLE sessions within the remainder of the first quarter and full second quarter of 2024. On March 28, VAP will conclude its three-part Income Tax Series. Additionally, VAP will be holding the final two parts of its Adult Guardianship Series on March 19 and April 9. Finally, the VAP's Foreclosure Defense & Alternatives CLE Session will take place on June 6. Register today with the VAP Pro Bono Collaborative ECHO to join the VAP volunteer attorney pool and sit in on informative and insightful CLE Sessions.

The Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP) of New Mexico Legal Aid will be hosting the third part of its Income Tax Series, "Empower Clients, Part 3/3: Allocating Tax Benefits Between Parents in a Split-Up" on March 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (MT). This virtual FREE CLE Session, earning attendees 1.0 General CLE credit, will feature a presentation by Grace Allison, Staff Attorney and Former Director, New Mexico Legal Aid Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.

The Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP) of New Mexico Legal Aid will be hosting the third part of its Adult Guardianship Series, "Adult Guardianship 101 - Part 3 of 4: Dealing with Family Conflict" on March 19 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. (MT). This virtual FREE CLE Session, earning attendees 1.0 General CLE credit, will feature a presentation by Patricia M. Galindo, Esq., Supervising Attorney with the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP) and New Mexico Legal Aid offer FREE CLE sessions through their Pro Bono Collaborative ECHO Project. Upcoming 2024 sessions include "Empowering Families/Clients: An Income Tax Perspective," "Adult Guardianship 101" and "Foreclosure Defense and Alternatives." The schedule for sessions in the first half of 2024 can be viewed by clicking the button below.