VLP and its partner, Senior Partners for Justice, help make access to justice possible for people who cannot afford a lawyer. Find out about our volunteer opportunities for attorneys and law students.

Please join us. Your time is precious. Use it to make a difference.

VLP Says Farewell to Meg Connolly and Welcomes New Executive Director Sheila Hubbard

Meg Connolly has retired after 24 years as Executive Director of VLP. Under Meg's outstanding leadership, VLP grew in both size and stature to become one of the premier pro bono organizations in the country. We wish Meg well!

At this time, we are pleased to announce the selection of Sheila Hubbard as VLP's new Executive Director. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Sheila served as the Director of Boston's Minority and Women Business Enterprise Office, Chair of the Massachusetts Parole Board, and, most recently, as Senior Program Director for the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery Alabama where she worked on issues of race and poverty, parole and probation, and juvenile justice. Sheila brings significant leadership experience, a deep understanding of the needs of our clients, and a passion to make a difference in their lives. Sheila will start at VLP on February 1st. Read the BBA Press Release.

Seeking Volunteer Attorneys and Law Students for Unemployment Insurance Appeals

The VLP receives more than 200 unemployment insurance cases a year, with that number increasing because of the rise of the unemployment rate. If you're interested in taking an unemployment case, please don't hesitate to contact us. We offer training, mentoring support and malpractice insurance coverage. No experience in unemployment law necessary and law students are welcome to take cases. Please contact Nicole at 617 423 0648 x 149 or at nlim@vlpnet.org to volunteer.

Legal Help for Workers Whose Unemployment Claims Have Been Denied

VLP is now holding Unemployment Insurance Clinics for clients on a weekly basis. If you have an upcoming unemployment insurance hearing, click here to find out more. You need to qualify for VLP's services and sign up in advance in order to attend a clinic.

Congratulations New Lawyers

Welcome!!! We wish you well and look forward to working with you. To the new attorneys who volunteered with VLP as law students and new law school graduates, we appreciate your dedication and look forward to continuing our work together. Volunteering for pro bono cases is a great way to gain valuable training and experience, meet other legal professionals, and provide much needed legal representation to those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Find out more about our volunteer opportunities.

VLP and Senior Partners for Justice volunteer attorney Joyce Kauffman was named one of the 2009 Lawyers of the Year by Mass. Lawyers Weekly. In addition to being a dedicated pro bono attorney, Joyce is a nationally recognized expert on gay and lesbian family law issues. Congratulations Joyce!!

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VLP's General Counsel, Lynn Girton, has been selected as a Woman of Justice. The Women of Justice awards, sponsored by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the Women's Bar Association and the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers, honor individuals who have made meaningful and inspiring contributions in the fields of social justice and advocacy. Congratulations Lynn!!

Read the Winter 2010 edition of our VLP newsletter, the Pro Bono Press