2006 marks the 25th anniversary of the Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California, the nonprofit volunteer based legal aid organization that provides pro bono legal assistance to indigent clients in the Sacramento region. From one part-time staff member in 1981, VLSP now employs 9 staff members, with 2 more on the way later this year. From an initial volunteer base of 50 attorneys, VLSP now boasts over 800 volunteer attorneys, in addition to paralegals, law students, undergraduate interns, notaries and interpreters. The Sacramento legal community, especially the Sacramento County Bar Association (one of VLSP’s co-sponsors), has much to be proud of for its ongoing support of pro bono services in Sacramento.

To start, VLSP’s services consisted solely of intake and referral of clients to private attorneys for direct representation. In fact, until seven years ago, that was VLSP’s entire mission. In the past seven years, however, the type of services VLSP offers has expanded to include our “Pro Per” clinics, where volunteers provide advice and brief assistance to thousands of clients who continue to represent themselves in pro per. These clinics allow VLSP to leverage its resources and assist many more people than would be possible under simply an intake and referral system.

The legal problems presented by the clients to VLSP are tremendously varied: creditor problems, bankruptcy, wrongful termination, denial of unemployment benefits, guardianships, conservatorships, estate planning, probate, defense of personal injury actions, criminal records expungement, and more. With the support of our dedicated staff and volunteers, VLSP provides hope and legal assistance to thousands of people each year who would otherwise be unable to afford the assistance of counsel.

Equal Justice is not a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building. It is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society… It is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status.

Justice Lewis Powell, Jr., former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

VLSP was the brainchild of local attorneys Tom Eres and Jim (now Judge) Mize. As a regular volunteer at Legal Services of Northern California, Mize saw first hand the need for further legal services for the poor. Despite his arguments in favor of creating a volunteer-based organization, it wasn’t until 1981, when Tom Eres was the President of the Sacramento County Bar Association, that the support to establish VLSP was there. By keeping the discussion focused on the core value of equal justice, Mize and Eres were able to gain support for the program.

At that time, Judge Mize was a member of the committee that oversaw the Attorney Referral Service of the Sacramento County Bar Association. Members of that committee, including Mize, believed that lawyers who received referrals from the Attorney Referral Service should give back to the community in some way in exchange for receiving the referrals. To provide further support for increased free legal services for the poor, the solution was to require that attorneys who wanted referrals to take on Mize, co-founder of VLSP legal aid cases.

Eventually, the Attorney Referral Service and Legal Services of Northern California formed a joint committee called the Voluntary Legal Services Committee. VLSP was then born. 25 years later, SCBA and Legal Services of Northern California continue to jointly sponsor VLSP.

Many members of the legal community remember June Black, VLSP’s first Program Coordinator. For years, June would personally interview clients and make the calls to volunteer attorneys to ask them to take on a case. By all reports, she was very convincing and successful at that task. To honor June’s dedication to VLSP’s clients, after her passing VLSP re-named its volunteer of the year award to the “June Black Pro Bono Award”.

In 1987, June was joined by Ellen Juarez, who served as VLSP Program Manager until 2001. Ellen was tireless in promoting and expanding pro bono services in the Sacramento community. Under her watch, VLSP expanded its services from direct representation assistance to include the many Pro Per Clinics VLSP successfully manages today.

VLSP has been supported and advanced by too many Sacramento area attorneys to mention in this column. From the volunteers who provide client services, to the ones who provide financial support or help us at our annual Phonathon fundraiser, or who serve on our Advisory Committee for many years, VLSP is very fortunate. The staff and Advisory Committee look forward to another successful 25 years in serving the interests of the indigent in receiving access to justice.

July / August 2006