Community Legal Aid

Worcester Probate and Family Court Lawyer for the Day
2024-12-04 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-12-11 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-12-18 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Worcester Court Service Center, 225 Main St, 1st Floor, Worcester, 01608, United States
Worcester Probate and Family Court Lawyer for the Day

At this pro bono program coordinated by Community Legal Aid, low-income litigants can speak to a free volunteer private attorney to get basic legal advice, help understanding the laws, and assistance filling out forms. Please note that the program only assists with family law matters and does not assist with probate matters.
Because this pro bono program is dependent upon volunteers, we cannot guarantee a volunteer attorney is available each week. Please check our calendar to confirm whether a volunteer is scheduled for the day you plan to arrive. Occasionally, we are unable to provide an update if a volunteer cancels with less than 24 hours’ notice. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
WHEN:

Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

No sign-up necessary. First-come, first-served

Due to volunteer capacity, we can only assist approximately 5 people each session
LOCATION:

Worcester Court Service Center; 1st floor of the Worcester Trial Court

225 Main St., 1st Floor, Worcester, MA 01608
ELIGIBILITY:

Serving low-income individuals whose household income falls 200% or below the federal poverty guidelines

Can only serve U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents, or those with an eligible documented status
SERVICES:

Legal advice and guidance; answer case-related questions; discuss legal options and strategy; assist drafting pleadings and court forms for family law matters
WANT TO BE A VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY? SIGN UP HERE (for attorneys only)
QUESTIONS? Email FAMILYLFD@CLA-MA.ORG.

Worcester District Court Small Claims Lawyer for the Day
2024-12-10 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-12-17 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-12-24 08:45 - 11:00, 2024-12-31 08:45 - 11:00, 2025-01-07 08:45 - 11:00, 2025-01-14 08:45 - 11:00, 2025-01-21 08:45 - 11:00, 2025-01-28 08:45 - 11:00 and 15 more dates | via Zoom, MA, United States
VOLUNTEER CALL TO ACTION!
This remote Lawyer for the Day program is a collaborative pro bono project with the Worcester County Bar Association (WCBA) that provides Limited Assistance Representation (LAR) to low-income debtors in the Worcester District Court, Small Claims Session. This program takes places every Tuesday morning between 8:45 – 11:00 A.M. via Zoom.
SIGN UP HERE for a session between January and March 2026!

Bloom and Brew: A Volunteer Appreciation Event
2025-05-02 09:00 - 11:00 | Nosh Cafe, 1341 Main Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Community Legal Aid cordially invites you to “Bloom and Brew,” a volunteer appreciation event. Join us for coffee and breakfast at Nosh Restaurant and Café in Downtown Springfield as we thank all of our pro bono attorneys, Access to Justice Campaign volunteers, and community partners for your ongoing support.
Let us know if you will be joining us! Register HERE

Legal Name Changes: A Pro Bono Attorney's Guide (Free Training)
2025-05-08 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
FREE training opportunity!

Join Community Legal Aid (CLA), Northeast Legal Aid (NLA), the MA LGBTQ Bar Association, and the Gender Identity Validation Services (GIVS) for a pro bono attorney training on legal name changes in Massachusetts for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse individuals.
The training is FREE with your commitment to assist with at least one pro bono referral in the coming year.
Please register for the training HERE.

Worcester Eviction Sealing Clinic (Pro Bono Opportunity)
2025-05-15 09:00 - 13:00 | Worcester Court Service Center, 225 Main St, 1st Floor, Worcester, 01608, United States
Under a new law, tenants in Massachusetts will be able to remove certain evictions from their record so that they do not show up when future landlords or creditors search for their names. However, these evictions are not automatically sealed. Tenants must file a petition with the Court where the eviction was filed to request that the eviction be sealed.
We need YOUR HELP! Join Community Legal Aid and MetroWest Legal Services at the Worcester Court Service Center on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for an Eviction Sealing Clinic. Draft petitions for eligible tenants which they can file on their own. This is an exciting opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting client interviews and drafting court forms.
Please review the dates below and sign up. Thank you!
Trainings and opportunities to shadow experience CLA and MWLS housing attorneys are available to all volunteers.

Estate Planning 101: Free Pro Bono Training (Virtual)
2025-05-16 12:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
FREE Virtual Training Opportunity!
Join Community Legal Aid (CLA) and Linda Cammuso, Esq. for a comprehensive virtual training on how to prepare estate planning documents, including Wills, Health Care Proxies, and Powers of Attorney. New practitioners are encouraged to attend.
This training is FREE with your commitment to assist with at least one pro bono referral in the coming year.
Register now for the Zoom!
Attorney Linda Cammuso is a founding partner at Estate Preservation Law Offices, with offices in Worcester, Uxbridge, Leominster, Braintree, and Hyannis. Attorney Cammuso’s practice focuses on estate and asset protection planning, estate and trust administration, tax planning, elder and disability law, and corporate and business planning. Attorney Cammuso previously worked in the nursing home industry, where she gained valuable insight into elder law and long-term care issues. Her knowledge in this field is a distinct benefit in working with clients who are facing long-term care planning challenges.
Attorney Cammuso is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs and provides veterans and their families with advice on the complex areas of law regarding VA pension benefits, also known as Aid & Attendance. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors for various nonprofit organizations including Girls Inc. of Worcester (of which she was also the Secretary and Second Vice President), LUK Inc. and Spring House. She has provided pro bono estate planning assistance to CLA’s clients for 10 years.
