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V O L . X X V I I I N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 2 2 14 L AW F O C U S Enormous need Pro bono counsel can make all the difference for people unable to afford attorneys but trying to navigate the law. "e unmet need is enormous," says Elizabeth Stout, executive director of Volunteer Lawyers Project. Rooted in a 1983 partnership between Pine Tree Legal Assistance and the Maine Justice Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers Project in 2017 became a sepa- rate nonprofit organization that recruits, trains, manages and supports volunteer attorneys, stu- dents and community volunteers, connecting them with clients on civil legal issues. Services are free to Mainers with low incomes. e volunteer group operates on about $450,000 for a staff of seven, rent for offices in Bangor and Portland and office expenses. Between 200 and 300 lawyers volunteer for the program. Services include full representation on a wide vari- ety of civil legal matters, including bankruptcy, benefits appeals, real estate matters, probate matters, wills and more; and limited representation clinics on: Domestic violence Family matters Small claims Employment matters, together with the Southern Maine Worker's Center Civil legal problems related to homelessness, together with Preble Street Resources Other civil legal matters, including the Acadia Hospital Clinic, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness Clinic and Small Business/Non-Profit Legal Clinic In the majority of cases — one statistic cites over 80% — people are unrepresented on one or both sides, says Stout. "Many people need and want legal representa- tion who cannot obtain it," she says. Volunteering time Domestic violence cases are a priority. Sometimes Canarie picks up pro bono cases at Portland District Court, where rough ese Doors, an organization working to end domestic violence in Cumberland County, looks for unrepresented plaintiffs and con- nects them with volunteer lawyers. "I meet with the client, talk about the case and the clock is ticking because this is their court day," describes Canarie. "ey're going to have a hearing, sometimes within an hour after I arrive in court." He also handles cases in other state courts, often appearing via Zoom since the pandemic. e amount of volunteer work depends on the cases. "It could be 100 hours plus per year, with a lot of work at night or on weekends," says Canarie. A recent telephone consult was half an hour. Another case took seven months. Early on, Canarie was "terrified at the prospect of appearing in court. I was a corporate lawyer. I'd been in court maybe once to get sworn into the bar and literally that was it. I needed training." Volunteer Lawyers Project provided training and domestic violence advocates were helpful. Canarie was instantly engaged. "I could see first-hand the value of having a lawyer for someone seeking pro- tection from abuse," he says. Canarie often devotes weekends to the work. When he volunteers during the weekday, Unum has been supportive. "Unum doesn't make me take vacation time when I do this work," he says. "Unum wants to be a good corporate citizen and really demonstrates that by supporting community work." Life changing A new lawyer on the panel is Allison Kuhns, an associ- ate with Pierce Atwood who has been practicing law since January 2021. She discovered the Volunteer Lawyers Project through its online domestic violence panel training. "ey were looking for people to help. I immedi- ately signed up," she says. Recently, Kuhns represented a client who had been in an abusive relationship for years. e client had looked into getting protection orders in the past, but had always dropped the case. B U I L D Y O U R CA R E E R W I T H U S Join our team of construction professionals at an employee-owned company with over 60 years of experience. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E You have to immediately learn the facts of the case. — Allison Kuhns Pierce Atwood, Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project

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