Pro Bono, Student, and Volunteer Opportunities
PWJC has a robust program to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers. Our dedicated team of volunteers include those who have some legal training (lawyers, paralegals, and law students) and those who bring other skills to our programs (community members, college, and high school students).
Pro Bono
PWJC has opportunities for those who have some legal training (attorneys and paralegals) to work in all facets of our legal programming. Pro Bono volunteers can: review case histories, draft legal documents, prepare clients for oral testimony, and represent clients at court proceedings for orders of protection, conduct client interviews, calls on our legal helpline, arrange for service of papers on the defendant, file documents with the court, and assist our attorneys in their cases. Duration of volunteer time is dependent on individual cases and the legal program. For more information about individual opportunities click here.
C.A.R.E. Volunteers
Through the C.A.R.E. Program, trained volunteers accompany domestic violence victims throughout their court experience. C.A.R.E. volunteers give emotional support to PWJC clients and allow attorneys to focus on necessary legal preparation before a case. No legal background or prior experience is necessary to participate in this program.
Opportunities for Law Students
Because of the Center’s affiliation with Pace Law School, law students are an integral component of the Center’s innovative and highly successful programs. At the Center, law students are assigned to work in specific programs and mentors provide training and on-going supervision and guidance.
Family Court Externships at Pace Law School
The Family Court Externship includes a weekly courthouse component and a weekly two hour classroom seminar. Pace Law School students who have completed their first full year of law school are eligible to enroll through the John Jay Legal Services application process. Law students who participate in the Externship work at the Family Court Legal Program courthouse sites one day per week under the direct supervision of PWJC attorneys. The Family Court Externship provides Pace Law School students with a solid foundation in the dynamics of domestic violence, as well as family court practice and procedure. Law students are taught relevant areas of the substantive law needed to effectively represent domestic violence victims and survivors in family court and engage in practical exercises related to developing client interviewing skills, drafting petitions, and presenting cases in court. In addition, law students learn how to prepare clients for oral testimony, instruct clients on service of orders, guide clients through the initial process of seeking child support and custody when necessary, and provide clients with referrals to community resources.
To apply: Complete the Family Court Externship application available through Pace Law School’s John Jay Legal Services.
Family Court Legal Program Summer Internship
The ten-week Summer Internship Program begins with an intensive day-long law student orientation/training conducted by PWJC attorneys and requires a full-time commitment to working in the White Plains and Yonkers Family Court Legal Program site offices. Enrollment in the summer internship is open to all law students who have completed their first full year at any accredited law school, not just Pace University. Under the direct supervision and guidance of PWJC attorneys, the summer internship students typically work full-time for ten weeks at the White Plains and Yonkers Family Court Legal Program sites. Like the Spring and Fall Family Court Externships, the Summer Internship Program provides law school students with a foundation in the dynamics of domestic violence, as well as family court practice and procedure. Law students are taught relevant areas of the substantive law needed to effectively represent domestic violence victims and survivors in family court and have the invaluable opportunity to develop effective client interviewing, petition drafting and case presentation skills on a daily basis. This opportunity is an unpaid internship.
To apply: Any student interested in participating in the Summer Internship Program should send a resume and a cover letter expressing their interest in the program to:
Tracey S. Alter, Esq.
Director, Family Court Legal Program
Pace Women’s Justice Center
78 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603
talter@law.pace.edu
High School & College Students
At the main office, students assist in a variety of tasks to support our legal team, including maintaining PWJC’s case management system, case files, and legal resources databases. Students commit to a minimum of six hours each week.