INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Legal Services received a two-year $326,000 Pro Bono Innovation Grant from Legal Services Corporation to fund a pilot program to expand Indiana’s existing pro bono program and recruit more volunteer attorneys, starting with Indy’s largest law firms.
Indiana Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income Hoosiers, had to turn away 4,000 applicants last year because it lacked the resources.
The legal assistance provided in most pro bono cases helps secure basic needs for clients, such as food, shelter, income, medical care, and personal safety. ILS expects to offer pro bono opportunities in areas including prisoner re-entry, consumer law, and elder law.
Those who cannot afford an attorney can apply for free legal assistance at IndianaLegalServices.org. If successful, the program will be replicated in other Indiana Pro Bono Districts and possibly in other states.