Below are current volunteer positions available with Illinois Legal Aid Online.  For other opportunities, please visit IllinoisProBono.org.

LiveHelp Operator

Opportunity Location: Remote

Volunteers Accepted: Paralegals, Law Students

Opportunity Type: Non-Representation; Educating the Public about the Law; Technology

Volunteer Opportunity Description: Illinois Legal Aid Online is seeking law student volunteers for its exciting new ‘LiveHelp’ project. LiveHelp is an innovative chat service that allows people looking for legal information and self-help resources on www.IllinoisLegalAid.org to ask a remotely located LiveHelp operator for assistance in navigating the website. LiveHelp volunteers will provide direct person-to-person online help so that people in need of legal assistance can obtain the information they need to achieve more positive outcomes to their legal problems.

Volunteers can participate when they want to from any computer with internet access, making this a flexible volunteer opportunity for busy law students! You do not need to have any prior legal knowledge or experience, and you will receive training, supervision, and support from Illinois Legal Aid Online.

Process for Becoming A Volunteer: To find out more about the LiveHelp Project or to sign up for a training, please contact Brandon Henander, LiveHelp Project Coordinator, at 312.977.9047 ext. 22. or bhenander at illinoislegalaid dot org.

Languages: English

Estimated Time Commitment: Volunteers are expected to take one, two-hour shift per week OR two, one-hour shifts per week for six months.

 Opportunity Location: Remote

Volunteers Accepted: Paralegals, Law Students, Non-Lawyer Volunteers, Retired Attorneys

Opportunity Type: Non-Representation; Preparing Education Materials; Administrative/Clerical

Transcriber

Volunteer Opportunity Description:  In an effort to make the legal information on http://www.illinoislegalaid.org, http://www.illinoislegaladvocate.org, and  http://www.illinoisprobono.org available to a wider range of Illinois residents, we are looking for paralegals and other professionals to transcribe video webcasts that appear on these websites. The websites have over 400 webcasts that need to be transcribed for the deaf and hearing impaired. Webcast trainings are sponsored by a variety of organizations and present material in a variety of legal practice areas. The legal information presented in these webcasts is intended for low income Illinois residents, pro bono attorneys and legal aid advocates.

Volunteers with paralegal or transcription experience are preferred, but is not required for this work. Volunteers must be proficient typists. Legal expertise in a specific area is not necessary, as all transcribed material will be reviewed by an attorney prior to being posted on the website. Volunteers can be located anywhere, as all work can be conducted over the internet.

Languages: English

Process for Becoming A Volunteer: Interested volunteers should contact Multimedia Coordinator Susan Muirhead at 312.977.9047 ext. 17 or smuirhead at illinoislegalaid dot org.

Spanish Translator

Opportunity Location: Remote

Volunteers Accepted: Attorneys, Paralegals, Law Students, Non-Lawyer Volunteers, Retired Attorneys, Government Attorneys

Opportunity Type: Non-Representation, Translation Services, Administrative/Clerical

Volunteer Opportunity Description: In an effort to make the legal information on http://www.illinoislegalaid.org available to a wider range of Illinois residents, we are looking for paralegals and other professionals to translate the website’s legal content from English to Spanish. The website has thousands of resources in a variety of legal practice areas that need to be translated for the Spanish speaking community.

Fluency in written Spanish is required. Legal expertise in a specific area is not necessary, as all translated material will be reviewed by an attorney prior to being posted on the website. Volunteers can be located anywhere, as all work can be conducted over the internet.

Skills Required: Writing/Drafting; Fluency in Spanish

Skills Acquired: Writing/Drafting

Languages: English , Spanish
Process for Becoming A Volunteer

Process for Becoming A Volunteer: Interested volunteers should contact Legal Content Coordinator Jed Untereker at 312.977.9047 ext. 15 or juntereker at illinoislegalaid dot org.

Last update: 12/04/2009