How do civil legal aid organizations and programs in Indiana operate?

Indiana has several organizations that provide access to free and low-cost legal services, but each organization has a different approach to providing these services. The main approaches used by organizations to provide free and low-cost legal services are:

• Non-profit law firms. These organizations employ staff attorneys and other legal professionals to provide direct legal services, but most will work with volunteer attorneys for certain projects, cases, and/or services. Funding comes primarily from public and private grants, private donations, and fundraising events, and some may charge a less-than-market fee for their services.

  Indiana organizations that use this model include Indiana Legal Services (ILS), the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, the Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County, the Metro Legal Clinic, and the Center for Victim and Human Rights.

• Pro Bono Organizations. These organizations recruit private attorneys and other legal professionals to provide legal services for low-income clients, either on a pro bono or reduced fee basis. These organizations may have attorneys on staff, but their main role is to manage client referrals and support the volunteer attorneys instead of representing clients. Funding comes primarily from public and private grants, private donations, and fundraising events.

  Indiana organizations that use this model include Pro Bono Indiana, the Volunteer Lawyer Program of Northeast Indiana (VLPNEI), and the Whitewater Valley Pro Bono Commission.

• Specialized Programs. These organizations focus on a specific population, such as children, immigrants, or victims of domestic violence, and legal assistance may be one of several services provided to members of that population. Legal assistance is typically managed by staff attorneys, but volunteer attorneys are used to provide day-to-day representation and services whenever possible. Funding comes primarily from public and private grants, private donations, and fundraising events.

  Indiana organizations that use this model include Kids Voice Indiana, the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), and the National Immigrant Law Center (NILC).

• Bar Associations. Many bar associations offer pro bono opportunities for their members. Some events are also done in partnership with another civil legal aid organization, such as a non-profit law firm or a pro bono organization. Funding comes primarily from member dues, with some receiving funding from a related bar foundation that accepts charitable donations. Volunteers typically must be members of the bar association in order to participate.
• Law Schools. Every law school in Indiana encourages its students to use their new legal skills to help low-income people, whether by applying for a clinic program, participating in a student-run legal information clinic, or volunteering for a non-profit organization. Some of these clinic programs also use volunteer attorneys as supervisors or advisors.