Pro Bono Coordinator FAQs

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Yes. Once you and the client complete the Professional Services Agreement, and return it to HVL, you will be fully covered under HVL’s malpractice insurance during the duration of your representation. 

Volunteers for legal advice clinics are also covered.  

New Opportunities Volunteer Attorney (NOVA) Pro Bono Program

The New Opportunities Volunteer Attorney (NOVA) Pro Bono Program is governed by Article XIII of the State Bar Rules and replaces the prior Emeritus Attorney Pro Bono Participation Program. NOVA differs in the following ways:

  • Inactive members of the State Bar of Texas and lawyers licensed in other states who are in good standing may participate. Under the prior Emeritus Program, only retired Texas and out-of-state licensed attorneys were able to do so.
  • Attorney participants must self-report 3 hours of MCLE annually

ATTORNEY REQUIREMENTS

To qualify, an attorney must:

    • be in good standing with the State Bar or the entity that governs the practice of law in the jurisdiction where the attorney is licensed;
    • be in good standing with all courts and jurisdictions in which the attorney is admitted to practice;
    • agree to abide by the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and to submit to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Texas and the State Bar;
    • has not been disciplined for professional misconduct within the past 10 years and is not subject to a pending disciplinary proceeding;
    • volunteer through an approved legal services organization;
    • complete 3 hours of CLE annually;
    • recertify annually to remain in the program.

1. HBA LegalLine powered by HVL:  Licensed volunteer attorneys needed to assist with providing legal advice and information to HVL applicants over the phone on Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons.  

Learn more here.

Sign up to volunteer here.

2. Consejos Legales: Licensed volunteer attorneys who speak Spanish are needed to assist with providing legal advice and information to Spanish speaking HVL applicants over the phone on the first Thursday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

3. Full Representation Cases that Can be Handled Remotely:

  • Name/Gender Marker Change
  • Affidavit of Heirship
  • Muniment of Title
  • Eviction
  • Tax
  • Record Clearing
  • Wills
  • Small Estate Affidavit
  • Gender Marker
  • Tax
  • Juvenile Sealing
  • Criminal Expunctions
  • Naturalization
  • Divorce
  • Custody 
  • Landlord/Tenant Disputes
  • Bankruptcy
  • Guardianship
  • Criminal Non-Disclosure
  • Probate

All individuals who apply for Houston Volunteer Lawyers are screened to determine financial eligibility. Once confirmed that the client qualifies financially, HVL staff attorneys interview potential clients to assess legal case merit, readiness, and to determine that their case would be appropriate for a pro bono attorney. 

  • Legal Research and Analysis
  • Client Counseling and Communication
  • Negotiation and Mediation
  • Court Room Experience
  • Empathy and Cultural Competency
  • Legal Writing
  • Networking
  • Procedural Knowledge
  • Business Development

If your attorneys are looking to develop or build off any of these skills, please reach out to Brittany.Krohn@hvlp.org to discuss potential opportunities. 

Yes! HVL tracks data for each pro bono attorney who volunteers. We link each pro bono attorney to the appropriate firm in our database. We track:

  • Time spent volunteering at clinics and on cases. 
  • When a pro bono attorney accepts a pro bono case, and when they close it. 

If you’re looking to pull pro bono data for your firm, please email Brittany.Krohn@hvlp.org

Please complete the Pro Bono Closing Form and return it to probono@hvlp.org.