For Pro Bono Attorneys

As the first law center in the nation dedicated solely to serving the legal needs of rape and sexual assault victims, the Victim Rights Law Center is the leader in representing sexual violence victims’ legal rights within the civil context- the areas of the victim’s life that the assault has impacted, such as, education, privacy, safety, immigration, housing, employment, immigration and finances. 

In providing civil legal assistance to rape and sexual assault and victims in Massachusetts, the Victim Rights Law Center relies substantially on volunteer attorneys and paraprofessionals.  Our pro bono attorney program, the Rape Survivors’ Law Project (RSLP), pairs low-income rape victims with trained, volunteer attorneys and paraprofessionals who give them a voice in the legal system. As a pro bono attorney you will become a powerful legal ally in a sexual assault victim’s recovery.  Without our volunteers, we would not have the resources to represent all of the rape victims who walk through our doors.

How to Become a Pro Bono Attorney

To join the Rape Survivors’ Law Project (RSLP) you must attend 2 hours of training, which will introduce you to the legal needs of sexual assault victims. The training addresses the connection between civil representation and the criminal justice system, and orients you to sexual assault victims’ privacy, safety, employment and education rights, as well as housing, immigration and financial compensation matters.

We do not require that you have previous experience with survivors, but we do require that you have passed the bar exam, are a member in good standing of the Massachusetts bar, and that you have malpractice insurance. After completing the training, we ask attorneys to represent at least one sexual assault victim per year; the average commitment is 20 hours annually.

If you are interested or have questions, please contact us by phone at 617-399-6720 or by email at vrlc@victimrights.org.