Pro Bono Resources
This page has resources for attorneys who want to volunteer for Kansas Legal Services, including the application to become a volunteer, information about the Elder Law Hotline, and other news that is relevant for pro bono attorneys.
Attorneys -- if you would like more information about our pro bono program and want us to contact you (email, text, or phone), please give us your contact information here.
If you are NOT an attorney but need legal assistance, please apply for services HERE or check out our How To Get Help page.
KLS has a website strictly for volunteer attorneys klsprobono.org.
The site is free and has many helpful resources for pro bono attorneys in Kansas! Please check it out and become a member. Pictured: A KLS expungement clinic in Manhattan, KS, staffed by KLS and pro bono volunteers.
Read the draft of the KLS 2022 Private Attorney Involvement Plan.
Kansas Emeritus Attorney Program
Any attorney who currently has a status of inactive or retired on their law license in Kansas can work with a not for profit provider of civil legal services on a pro bono basis. Kansas Legal Services is such an organization. These attorneys, known as emeritus attorneys, practice under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 1404.
The rule requires that an emeritus attorney provide the services through an approved legal aid organization such as Kansas Legal Services and be under its general supervision. We need to determine that the legal work the attorney is interested in providing is consistent with the needs of Kansas Legal Services’ clients and with the available supervision. An attorney interested in working under Rule 1404 should complete the attached application providing information regarding time commitment, type of legal work preferred (for example: providing advice to clients, representing in court, drafting documents), and length of commitment. The application should be sent to Joy Springfield, Director of Pro Bono, address below.
Read more about the program here.
Here is an application if you wish to participate.
An information sheet with questions and answers about the program is attached here.
If you have further questions please contact:
- Joy Springfield, Director of Pro Bono
- Kansas Legal Services
- 712 S Kansas Ave, Suite 201
- Topeka, KS 66603
785-233-2068
Domestic Violence Handbook for Attorneys
For Attorneys who represent survivors of domestic violence, a handbook from The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health:
Want to Learn More About the Kansas Legal Services Elder Hotline?
The Elder Hotline has been operated for more than 10 years by Kansas Legal Services. It was the 2009 recipient of the Kansas Bar Association Pro Bono Award. More than 60 Kansas lawyers are already volunteering for this program. Want to join them? Want to learn more?
The Kansas Elder Law Hotline receives calls from Kansans over 60 who are seeking legal information about issues in their lives. These seniors are given the opportunity of phoning the Kansas Elder Hotline toll free and the calls are transferred to the attorney "on shift." Legal topics run the breadth of general practice experience.
Volunteer attorneys are scheduled for a four hour shift every 2 months. During a typical shift, a lawyer might get three calls. Shifts are scheduled in advance and attorneys can turn down or change a shift, as needed.
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the volunteer application at the bottom of the page and return it to Cindy VanHoutan at cindyv@klsinc.org .