Current Pro Bono Cases

Alaska Legal Services Corporation is looking for volunteer assistance with the following cases. If you are interested in taking a case or assisting with a Pro Bono activity, contact Laura Goss by email at LGoss@alsc-law.org or by phone at 907-222-4521. If you are interested in volunteering but not sure how, please fill out ALSC’s pro bono volunteer form.

Landlord/Tenant Hotline: During one 2 hour evening shift per month, you will answer calls from Alaskans with questions about their current situation. Your main resource is the Landlord/Tenant Act Handbook. You will receive calls at any phone of your choice.

Pro Bono Attorney Mentoring Opportunity: The Pro Bono Training Academy (PBTA) is an exciting new initiative aimed at increasing support for our pro bono volunteers. We hope to do this in many ways, one of which is by creating a mentoring system wherein experienced volunteer attorneys mentor newer volunteer attorneys in specific areas of the law. Hopefully, knowing they are supported will encourage attorneys to take on more complex cases on a volunteer basis. This project is in the planning phase. We are looking for experienced attorneys interested in serving as a mentor attorney. We are also very interested in your ideas about what such a program should look like. If you want to serve Alaska’s low-income population by sharing your legal expertise, please contact: Sarah Carver, Project Coordinator, Pro Bono Training Academy, scarver@alsc-law.org, 907.406.2222.

Housing Court Justice Project
Assist Pro Se low-income tenants or low-income landlords (if the other side has an attorney) in Eviction Court. You will be present at Anchorage District Court one morning per month to provide limited assistance to clients scheduled for eviction proceedings such as: legal counseling, negotiating settlement agreements, representation in an eviction hearing, and drafting any relevant documents, such as pleadings and answers.

Veterans Legal Clinic – sponsored by ALSC and the VA
You will provide free consultations for income-qualifying Veterans regarding civil legal matters. Clinic days are scheduled once monthly and in advance. Shifts will be 7 hours (9am-4pm) at the Northway Mall (or can possibly be split into two volunteer shifts). Consultations are 45 minutes and are pre-scheduled one hour apart.

Anchorage – Palmer – Kenai – Juneau – Early Resolution Project (ERP)
In one afternoon, you will offer free legal advice to family law pro se litigants referred by the Alaska Court System, who they have deemed as easy to resolve with attorney assistance. You will meet privately with your client and work out an amicable agreement between both parties that same day. 86% of ERP cases are amicably completed that afternoon. ERP volunteers are needed in Anchorage, Palmer, Juneau, and Kenai. ERP sessions are held once per month in each city except Anchorage where it is held weekly.

Cases

AN-17-24459

Client is a 55 year old immigrant needing a divorce. She speaks only Spanish and cannot read or write. Her husband has been charges with sexual abuse of a minor (client’s daughter, his step-daughter). Her daughter is in state custody, and they will not release her to our client’s custody if she is still married to her husband. There will be no custody to dispute, as they have no children in common. Client is working with AK Institute for Justice on her immigration matter.

Case Topics: Abuse, Divorce

AN-17-25657

Client bought a car from a local auction company, put money into the car, tried to change the title into his name, but was informed the paperwork provided by the company did not match. He wants to return the car and get his money back.

Case Topics: consumer

AN-17-25733

30 year old African American man with a learning disability needs help with his former landlord, who was also his employer. He has several legitimate claims against his landlord, which need the help of an attorney to address.

Case Topics: Disability, Housing

AN-17-26144

Woman took out a large loan in 2009 to pay for her son-in-law’s substance abuse treatment. She is still paying on this loan, even though her son-in-law is now deceased. Client is hoping to recover some money from her son-in-law’s estate or from the rehab facility.

Case Topics: consumer, Loan

AN-17-27031

Woman in her late 60s need help with a lawsuit that was filed against her to foreclose a mechanic’s lien. There is a payment dispute with a contractor, who has filed a lien against her property. If she loses this case, she could lose her home.

Case Topics: consumer, Housing, senior

AN-17-27077

A disabled man is currently hospitalized for brain encephalitis and aspiration pneumonia. He is bedridden and has a tracheotomy. He is competent, but his brother has a POA. Client was hospitalized because his wife was neglecting his care. He would like to file for divorce.

Case Topics: Disability, Divorce, Neglect

AN-18-27183

Homeless Veteran with PTSD needs to file Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.

Case Topics: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Homeless, Veteran

AN-18-27224

Woman who is a senior is seeking recovery of money she believes was wrongfully extracted from her to pay off condo dues and special assessments when she sold her home.

Case Topics: consumer, senior

AN-18-27308

Client’s mother died in her apartment. Landlord threw her mother’s belongings in trash bags and put in a shed, then re-rented the apartment. Client has a very strong position—just a small amount of legal work will do a lot of good for her.

Case Topics: Housing

AN-18-27553

Korean immigrant needs representation in a divorce and custody case. Her husband has an attorney. Client speaks English, but translation services may be required (ALSC will cover these costs). The parties have been married for seven years and have one daughter.

Case Topics: Custody, Divorce

AN-18-27559

Man from the Dominican Republic needs help to divorce his wife. They were married here. The tricky thing is they own a home in the DR. Client speaks limited English, and will most likely require interpreting services, which ALSC will pay for, unless you are a Spanish-speaking lawyer.

Case Topics: Divorce, LEP

AN-18-27674

Woman has been married for more than 40 years. She and her husband separated in November 2017 and she moved to Kansas. There is substantial marital property. Client is chronically ill and would like a legal separation so she can stay on her husband’s health insurance. She would like a fair division of marital assets, so she can start a new life in Kansas.

Case Topics: Divorce, health

AN-18-28206

Native Alaskan Elder has a claim against a large seafood company regarding his leased boat and permit. He believes his debt to the company is paid in full, and that the company is continuing to steal money from his profits. He needs a lawyer to get the company to provide an accounting of their payments to our client.

Case Topics: consumer, debt, elder

AN-18-29451

Disabled Veteran needs assistance negotiating a child support payment settlement with Alaska CSSD.

Case Topics: child support, Veteran

AN-18-58547

Our client is seeking SSI or Union benefits as a surviving spouse. She would like someone to review the union plan to research her benefit possibility, and someone to contact Social Security about her denied claim.

Case Topics: SSI, Union Benefits

BE-17-26536

Couple who have raised an infant since birth would now like to adopt the child.

Case Topics: Adoption

BE-18-29096

Lifelong Bethel resident needs assistance obtaining custody of her grandson. Her son died in April 2018. Prior to the death, both the son and grandson lived with her. The child’s mother is not in his life in any way.

Case Topics: Custody

BE-18-29406

Native Alaskan woman needs to Probate her brother’s estate. The main issue is a fishing permit.

Case Topics: Probate

JU-17-25004

This is an informal, uncontested probate. The client is a single mom with a small son, the probate is for her mother who committed suicide.

Case Topics: Probate

JU-18-27302

Uncontested adoption of a child from America Samoa by her aunt in Alaska. The baby has been raised here by her Aunt since September 2017. This should be a non-contentious feel-good case.

Case Topics: Adoption

KN-17-26102

57 year-old woman needs a divorce from a violent husband. There are no minor children. There was a Dissolution Petition in 2014 but the court denied it because the property and debt distribution appeared to be “patently inequitable.” She needs an attorney to help her obtain the marital home, a portion of husband’s retirement income, and potential child support. (ALSC will pay for the QDRO.)

Case Topics: child support, Divorce, Domestic Violence

KN-17-26450

Alaska Native Elder would like a simple will.

Case Topics: senior, wills

PA-17-23481

Native Alaskan Elder at risk for homelessness needs an attorney who works in insurance litigation to assess whether the primary and GAP insurance properly paid her claims from a car accident.

Case Topics: Homelessness, insurance, senior

PA-17-24620

This is a custody case from Kenai, though a bit different. There are disagreeing parents and a GAL regarding the course of treatment of a 15-year-old who recently suffered a psychotic break. The father and client is legally blind, and can really benefit from an attorney to assist him with getting all of the best information before the GAL and the Court so that the best possible decisions can be made for this vulnerable teen.

Case Topics: Custody

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