We decide what cases to accept based on where we believe we can have the greatest impact.
Each week, volunteer attorneys and law students help us to determine where best to use our resources by interviewing potential clients and meeting with our staff to present the cases they heard. Volunteers who conducted intakes that week then vote with our staff to determine which cases we accept.
Process: Intake volunteers commit to one intake session (approximately 2 hours) scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the volunteer’s convenience and one intake meeting (less than 2 hours) at our main office that same week.
The criminal case intake meetings occur on Thursday afternoons at 3:00 p.m.; the civil intake meetings take place on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
Intake sessions include interviewing potential clients at either our office or one of two satellite sites on the south side of Chicago. We provide a manual covering types of issues faced and questions to ask.
Training: CGLA Attorney/Law Student Intake Training session — click here to view upcoming times — and observation of three intake sessions.
Requirements: Attorney or law student with compassion, attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills and exceptionally clear communication skills.
Suggested Commitment: After completing the training program, we ask volunteers to commit to completing a minimum of three intake sessions on their own, which can be scheduled at your convenience.
