Plenty of free parking; your own office - well, cubicle, anyway - user-friendly phones and a pilot mediation program are among the new features volunteer attorneys and others enjoy at the Senior Legal Hotline's (SLH) new office. They come on top of the traditional benefits of joining SLH's volunteer corps: great company, free coffee, snacks for the Thursday evening crew, free bar dues for retirees who qualify and lots of great training opportunities. However, most of all, you get the satisfaction of helping seniors in need stay healthy, independent and safe by giving them legal help on the phone.

Current times also bring a new challenge: SLH is about to issue a press release encouraging seniors to call for help getting the "low-income subsidy" available with Medicare's prescription drug program. We're expecting a flood of calls for this and about "Part D" confusion in general.

From SLH's perspective, the great thing about volunteers is the wealth of specialized knowledge many of them bring to the job. Since SLH accepts questions on any legal subject, the most obscure issues turn up. At the same time, being the ultimate generalist means that no one is ever expected to know everything. Even if "elder law" sounds foreign to you, SLH's orientation program and its plentiful print and on-line resources will get up to speed quickly.

Most SLH cases open and close with a single phone call. But some involve follow-up questions, document review, phone calls, letters to other parties and even zealous negotiations that can get quite involved. Interesting ethical issues sometimes arise: for instance, when doubts arise about a caller's capacity, or when a friend or family member calls ostensibly on behalf of an elder but, in fact, a conflict of interest exists.

Past and current volunteer advocates span the spectrum from law students to active attorneys to retirees. We're open late on Thursdays so having a day job is okay. Paralegals are also welcome. Everyone works under the supervision of experienced staff attorneys. At first, after orientation, your cases will be by callback appointment. With experience, volunteers can answer phones "live" if they wish.

A new project at SLH is a phone mediation option for clients who request extra help resolving disputes. Volunteers can undergo additional training to become mediators as well as advocates - not in the same case, of course.

Other options for volunteers include opportunities to make presentations to audiences of seniors in the community, write educational material for use at SLH and help out with other administrative functions, including networking with other agencies and governmental bodies.

One thing SLH does not have is a stable source of funding. Ideas, leads and offers are always welcome. Current demand already exceeds our capacity to help, and we have barely become known in Southern California. Growth in the near future is an imperative, and that will require having more staff and volunteers. We look forward to seeing you soon. For a more detailed look at SLH's operations, visit www.seniorlegalhotline.org.

Volunteering for SLH: How, When, Where, and Why

• SLF welcomes your help if you can come in regularly as little as a few hours a week - any day, or Thursday evenings, when the hotline is open late - with snacks to keep you going.
• Please do come with the intention of sticking with us for a while, however; we invest a lot of effort in orientation and training.
• Retired attorneys can remain active without paying bar dues through the State Bar's Emeritus Program. Inactive attorneys, paralegals or law students can also advise seniors, working under attorney supervision.
• The new office is at 444 North 3rd Street, off Richards Boulevard near I-5.
• No need to be an elder law specialist. Hotline advocates are the utlimate generalists; whatever knowledge you bring will be a great addition to the mix. Lots of reference material is readily available.
• You won't have to take work home with you; you'll feel really appreciated... and you'll have fun doing it.

January / February 2006