Needs From: United Way of Mahaska County

by contributing expertise through the Iowa Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers project, a volunteer attorney can provide desperately needed legal assistance. The Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct encourage every lawyer to aspire to provide at least 50 hours of pro bone legal services per year. We need attorneys willing to represent low-income clients in a wide variety of civil legal matters, including family law, consumer problems, landlord/tenant disputes, civil rights and government benefits cases. All Iowa Attorneys, recent admitted, as well as experienced practitioners, are encouraged to participate. Established members of the bar will appreciate the opportunity to explore new areas of practice and develop ones insights into the problems of the poor. Newer attorneys will gain valuable litigation experience through their contributions. The Volunteer Lawyers Project is designated to give participating attorneys control over the number of pro bono referrals to be accepted and the decision as to whether to accept to given referral at a given time. Volunteer lawyers are initially contacted by a referral coordinator, rather than by the would-be client, and are given the opportunity to accept or decline each referral. 

A tax volunteer will assist clients with identifying and gathering key documents to assist with tax preparation, provide clients with needed assistance in filling out forms or complying with document requests, prepare federal and state returns needed to bring clients into filing compliance, provide clients with basic record-keeping tips and pointers to assist client in being more successful going forward. The volunteer must have knowledge and experience of individual tax preparation, strong computer skills and be pleasant, patient, and dependable. They will be trained on Iowa Legal Aid's computer and telephone systems as well as office equipment. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

A translator translates documents and websites, assists with Limited English Proficiency clients and meets necessary deadlines. The volunteer should have the ability to translate English to a different language an pass a bilingual fluency text. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

An intern interviews and advises clients, organizes files, conducts legal research, drafts papers, and conducts court hearings. The volunteer should have attended an accredited law school, have good organizational and legal skills and an ability to use computers. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

A paralegal intern drafts letters, makes phone calls, assists attorneys with case preparation, maintains case notes, conducts legal research and copies documents. The volunteer should have an ability to maintain confidentiality and have completed some paralegal coursework. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

a self-help clinic assistant helps clients with divorce forms, manages case files, and develops new materials to assist clinic volunteers. They need to be able to maintain confidentiality and have a familiarity with computers. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

A website reviewer looks over the Iowa Legal Aid website to help maintain our accessibility standards. The volunteer highlights information that is not readily available. The volunteer should have familiarity with computers and how to use Website Review documents. Spelling and punctuation also need to be a priority. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

If anyone would like a meaningful, dynamic, and professional volunteer opportunity, they should consider volunteering for Iowa Legal Aid's Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. They assist with preparation of past due returns or amending returns; audits, audit reconsiderations, appeals, or seeking collection alternatives; and providing client with basic recordkeeping tops and pointers to assist client in being more successful going forward. The volunteers should be certified public accountants and maintain confidentiality. The time commitment will depend on the volunteer's availability and Iowa Legal Aid's needs. 

We are in need of long-term volunteers t learn our case management and intake system and provide assistance with the reception of calls. These volunteers are needed from 8:30am-5:00pm each weekday. This opportunity is limited to adults 18 and over.