Legal Call-In Center Volunteers

At the Legal Hand Call-In Center Serving Westchester County, trained community volunteers—who are not lawyers—provide free information, assistance, and referrals to help low-income members of the community resolve issues that affect their lives and prevent problems from turning into legal actions. Services are provided to those who contact the Legal Hand Call-in Center, referred to as "Visitors," by phone, text, email, chat, or video. All are welcome, there are no eligibility requirements, and all are assisted regardless of income, immigration status, and residence. No appointments are required and visitors can seek help during weekdays, evenings, and weekends.

Volunteers play an important role in Legal Hand's mission to increase access to justice in low-income communities by directing people to effective resources and ensuring they know their rights in a given situation. Volunteers provide legal information, assistance, and referrals through Legal Hand's comprehensive online database of legal information and community resources, called the Legal Hand Helper. Volunteers do not provide legal advice! They are provided with training and supervision and learn valuable legal information and advocacy skills. Legal Hand Volunteers come from all backgrounds and walks of life— from college students to retirees—and no experience in legal work is necessary. Volunteers are provided with a laptop and headset for the time they volunteer.

Volunteer responsibilities:

• Assist Visitors by completing online forms, providing information about various government benefits, making advocacy calls, and helping to navigate systems and processes. All volunteers will be provided with support and guidance from Legal Hand staff
• Track Visitor information in the computer database consistently and accurately

Volunteer requirements:

• Must be 18+
• Must complete three weeks of training (approximately 3 hours per week) in a variety of issue areas, including housing, family law, immigration, domestic violence and public benefits
• Must attend 5 live simulations (2 hours each) to learn and practice the virtual platform
• Must commit to a minimum of 3 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months
• Must have a desire to help members of the community resolve their problems
• Must speak fluent English (ability to speak a second language a plus but not required!)
• Must be computer literate

Express interest below to learn more and get started!