Volunteer attorney needed! Follow link at left for more information

People volunteer for CLSEPA in a variety of ways.

Attorneys are our biggest source of volunteers -- last year, attorneys contributed 8,000 volunteer hours to CLSEPA cases. A number of paralegals volunteer their time as well, particularly in the area of immigration.

Volunteers help out in many other ways. For instance, they write articles for our newsletter, design graphics for our publications, translate at clinics, organize our databases, and answer the phone.

In short, everything we do involves volunteers. Your help can make a big difference in the lives of those who need it most.

To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 650-326-6440. To volunteer, please send an email to volunteer@clsepa.org.

Immigration Attorney or Paralegal

Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) provides free and low-cost legal services to low-income and under-served individuals and families in East Palo Alto , Eastern Menlo Park , and the surrounding areas. CLSEPA legal services are provided through direct representation, advice to pro per litigants and community education.

Each year, CLSEPA is honored to work with more than 100 volunteer attorneys, including solo practitioners, attorneys from large and small law firms, and active members of the bar who are taking time off from a full-time legal practice.

CLSEPA is seeking volunteer attorneys (licensed to practice law in any state) and certified paralegals to work in our Immigration Program under the direction of our Immigration Program Attorneys. Volunteers will assist with the preparation and completion of various forms and applications on behalf of immigrant clients. Training and supervision will be provided. CLSEPA volunteers must be able to make a commitment of 6 months of 8 hours each week.

To volunteer, please send an email to volunteer@clsepa.org

Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) accepts applications for outside fellowships from graduating law students, judicial law clerks, and new attorneys who have been practicing for 1 year or less, interested in applying for an Equal Justice Works, Skadden, Soros Justice or other fellowship opportunities. The applications are generally submitted in the fall, a year in advance of the fellowship start date at CLSEPA.

CLSEPA is a grassroots community based organization which first opened in 2002. CLSEPA, and its predecessor agency, East Palo Alto Community Law Project, have provided high-quality legal services to low-income, under-served individuals in East Palo Alto, eastern Menlo Park, and the surrounding areas for more than 20 years. Through combined efforts of our staff, volunteer attorneys, law students, sponsors and individual donors, CLSEPA provides legal counsel to those who otherwise would not enjoy the protections of our legal system.

CLSEPA is located in the southernmost town in San Mateo County, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Our current practice areas include Immigration, Housing, Civil / Consumer Protection, Anti-Predatory Lending and Home Mortgage Foreclosure Programs.

Immigration Program
Our immigration program seeks to provide life-changing services for low income individuals and families who want to reunite with their loved ones, escape and heal from violence, realize greater economic and social stability, and more fully integrate into our American society. We have special projects focusing on VAWA and U visa for survivors of domestic violence and other serious crimes, juvenile justice advocacy, ICE enforcement awareness, Dream Act and Know-Your-Rights (KYR) community education/ fraud prevention.

We are looking for immigration fellowship projects which most reflect the unmet need in our community: KYR education and case screening/ representation for immigrant youth with dependency or delinquency matters, deeper coordination and screening for domestic violence cases with our local shelters and for women in detention in particular, Dream Act preparation screening and organizing in cooperation with our local college preparatory schools and community colleges.

If you are interested in sponsorship for a fellowship in one of our practices, please submit the following electronically:

• 1 page Cover letter
• Resume
• Legal research and writing sample (5 to 10 pages)
• List of three references

Once we respond confirming that we are interested in hosting your fellowship, please then provide us with the following additional information:

• Brief proposal for your project (not to exceed four pages) including the following: (1) problem summary, (2) opportunities, (3) challenges, (4) program activities, and (5) anticipated goals and timeline

Applications should be submitted via email only (not fax or mail or dropped-off) to: fellowships@clsepa.org.

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Please allow two weeks for an intial reply. If your request is urgent, please mark it as such in the subject line of your email.

CLSEPA is an affirmative action/ equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, immigrants, LGBT individuals and other applicants from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.