Attorney Volunteers

Thank you for your interest to intern/extern with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County (LASOC) and Community Legal Services (CLS). LASOC/CLS provides free legal services to poor and low-income individuals and seniors in Orange County and Southeast Los Angeles County.  We help hundreds of eligible clients with their legal issues every day. LASOC/CLS currently handles cases that deal with family law, domestic violence, landlord tenant and housing, government benefits, health, and tax problems. We strive to empower and educate our client community and to promote equal access to the justice system through advocacy, legal counseling, innovative self-help services, in-depth legal representation, economic development and community education.

If you are interested in volunteering for one of our many projects, please complete the application and submit with your written statement and resume to irisma@legal-aid.com. 

Law Students & Law School Graduates (JDs)

LASOC/CLS is looking for proficient and passionate law students and recent law graduates who want to aid our clients with their many urgent needs. Law students and law school graduates play a fundamental role in LASOC/CLS’s contribution to our community and its individuals. While we prefer a minimum of 12 hours per week for a period of 3 months, we are open to work with your availability. We hope to provide you with many opportunities to participate and gain experience in a variety of legal matters.

To apply for a volunteer/internship/externship opportunity, please submit a completed application along with a written statement and resume to irisma@legal-aid.com. 

Community Volunteers

The Legal Aid Society of Orange County (LASOC) and Community Legal Services (CLS) offers a wide selection of community volunteer opportunities to assist us in delivering legal services to our clients in Orange and Southeast Los Angeles Counties. Our current volunteers range from undergraduates to retired executives and legal professionals.

Volunteers are matched individually with openings in our projects. Please browse our website carefully to learn more about each program before you apply. We provide trainings or orientations for volunteers, and recruit new volunteers whenever there is a need. We also use volunteers to screen phone calls and handle telephone intakes on our Hotline, particularly those with fluency in Spanish or an Asian language.

The application process to volunteer can be highly competitive. It is advisable to apply for these opportunities several months before you are ready to start.

While we prefer a minimum of 12 hours per week for a period of 3 months, we are also open to work with the applicant’s availability. The more time an applicant is able to commit, however, the more likely we can place that volunteer. Other relevant factors include the applicant’s reasons for volunteering, and related experience or training.

Please check your resume and all correspondence carefully for grammar, spelling, word usage, and syntax before submitting your information. LASOC/CLS is looking for volunteers with strong communication skills and who pay attention to detail.

To apply, please complete and submit the application along with a written statement and resume to irisma@legal-aid.com.

High School Students

LASOC/CLS does use high school volunteers as needed in administrative and clerical positions. Students must be able to travel to our offices and must demonstrate strong academic accomplishments. Students must apply personally. LASOC/CLS will not accept applications from parents or guardians.

To apply for volunteer opportunities, please complete and submit the application along with a written statement and resume to irisma@legal-aid.com.