Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents of Boston and 21 surrounding cities and towns who are facing a crisis where their housing, safety, health or access to other basic needs are at risk. To maximize its impact, GBLS employs a broad spectrum of advocacy approaches from direct individual representation to legislative and policy advocacy to impact litigation and community lawyering to benefit as many people as possible and to establish lasting social change. A national leader in civil legal aid, GBLS regularly achieves success in creating pathways out of poverty for our clients. In addition, thousands of other poor families and individuals benefit from the systemic advocacy GBLS carries out on behalf of its clients. All of their work focuses on racial justice and seeks to promote racial equity.
GBLS is seeking students to work in their Consumer Rights Unit to assist in representing low and moderate-income clients in a variety of consumer areas including; foreclosure prevention cases, debt collection cases, credit repair issues, consumer scams, student loan issues, bankruptcy cases, impact litigation and legislative and policy advocacy. They operate a Debt Collection Lawyer for the Day Program where they represent consumers being sued in Small Claims Court for credit card debt – usually by debt buyers who often cannot prove they actually own the debt. Their program operates in the Chelsea, Roxbury, E. Boston and Charlestown Courts. They are seeking a Fellow who is interested in gaining court experience and representing clients in their Lawyer for the Day program. In addition, Fellows participate in all aspects of their work, from client intake, undertaking legal research and writing assignments, drafting pleadings, preparing and reviewing discovery, arguing motions in court and participating in community education and outreach efforts. This is a great opportunity to learn about consumer law issues, get court and litigation experience and make a real difference in clients’ lives.
Accepting and reviewing applications for volunteers on a rolling basis. See application information on SAGE.