Grants and Program Overview

STATEWIDE 

Access to Justice Commission 

Strives to achieve equal justice for all persons in the Commonwealth by providing leadership and vision to, and coordination with, the many organizations and interested persons involved in providing and improving access to justice for those unable to afford counsel. 

Center for Law and Education  

Provides training, research, and co-counseling to parents, students, and their advocates regarding special education, with an emphasis on assistance to low-income students. Funds support the organization’s technology needs.  

Center for Public Representation 

Provides back up and support to other legal services programs representing mentally disabled persons. Funds support the organization’s technology needs.  

Central Technology Program  

Provides centralized technology services, hardware, software, telephonic services, storage and data warehousing and all other technology services to the legal aid community.  

Children's Law Center of Massachusetts  

Aims to promote and secure equal justice and to maximize opportunity for low-income children and youth by providing quality educational and legal services. Services include direct representation, information and referral, technical assistance and training to attorneys, parents, and youth-serving professionals; community outreach and education; and systemic advocacy. 

Disability Law Center  

Provides legal representation to low-income children and adults with mental and physical disabilities as well as technical assistance, support and back up to local legal services programs. Funds support the organization’s technology needs. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative  

Improves services to low-income clients by building cultural competence, addressing diversity-related issues, and promoting equity. Through education and training, improved hiring practices, statewide events, and collaboration, this initiative spurs legal aid organizations to reflect the diversity of their clients and exemplify shared values of justice and fairness. Hosts an annual conference.  

Equal Justice Coalition 

Advocates for expanded access to civil legal aid for low-income Massachusetts residents. The Coalition includes bar associations, law firms, law schools, legal aid organizations, and social service agencies who work together to protect and increase the state appropriation for civil legal aid.  

Flaschner Judicial Institute 

Provides educational programs designed specifically for judges.  

Health Law Advocates, Inc. 

The Medical Legal Partnership for Immigrants increases access to healthcare for low-income immigrants by providing them with direct legal services to help them enroll in MassHealth and receive coverage for specific services. Also provides community education workshops and online toolkit with information about immigrants’ healthcare rights.  

JRI Health Law Institute 

Provides legal assistance to indigent people living with HIV/AIDS, primarily in southeastern and western Massachusetts. Project lawyers provide representation on matters involving vital needs such as access to disability benefits, housing, and health insurance.   

Lawyers Clearinghouse  

Harnesses the power of Massachusetts legal professionals to strengthen communities by connecting Massachusetts nonprofits and the homeless with pro bono lawyers. 

Massachusetts Advocates for Children 

Removes barriers to educational and life opportunities for children and youth by advocating for and partnering with students and families; transforms school culture to be inclusive, safe and supportive; and creates systemic change so all children and youth can learn, reach their potential, and thrive.  

Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law & Justice 

Promotes equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues.  

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) 

Provides an in-depth, 40-hour training on immigration law to staff at nonprofit organizations. After the training, MIRA supports training participants through the process of applying for recognition and accreditation through the DOJ’s Office of Legal Access Programs (formerly managed by the Board of Immigration Appeals).  

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) 

Provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities.  

Political Asylum Immigration Representation (PAIR) 

Provides free immigration services to asylum seekers and detained immigrants, helping with their legal rights and representation.  

Prisoners’ Legal Services 

Provides legal representation and administrative advocacy in civil matters related to prisoners’ treatment in Massachusetts prisons and jails, and upon release on parole.  

Veterans Legal Services 

Promotes self-sufficiency, stability, and financial security for veterans in Massachusetts through comprehensive and accessible legal services. 

Women's Bar Foundation 

The Family Law Project for Domestic Abuse Survivors provides referrals for pro bono legal assistance to low-income survivors of domestic violence. Recruits and provides ongoing training and mentoring for volunteer attorneys in the areas of domestic violence, divorce, child support, custody, and visitation. 

REGIONAL 

CENTRAL/WESTERN  

Ascentria Community Services, Inc. 

The Immigration Legal Assistance Program provides free legal services, including direct representation, managed referrals, and pro se assistance, to low-income political asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, and victims of trafficking, violent crime, domestic violence, and labor exploitation.  

Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority  

The Housing Services and Mediation Program provides legal counseling, informal mediation/negotiation services, and in-court mediation services to resolve landlord/tenant, neighbor, and some small claims disputes to all Berkshire Country landlords, tenants, homeowners, and consumer disputants. Also provides community legal education programs.  

CASA Project, Inc. 

The Child Court Advocacy Program provides volunteer CASA court advocates for abused and neglected youth in Worcester County Juvenile Court to ensure they receive needed services while in litigation, and to help them move quickly to safe, permanent homes. 

Center for New Americans 

The Citizenship and Immigration Program provides immigration legal services to low-income immigrants at low or no cost, including informational workshops, legal counsel, and application assistance. 

Collaborative Resolutions Group 

The Family Mediation Program offers low or no-cost divorce, post-divorce, custody, and relationship mediation services to low-income couples. Also provides onsite Introductory Mediation Programs at the Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Probate and Family Courts. 

Community Legal Aid 

Free civil legal aid provider for residents of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties.  

Dismas House of Central Massachusetts 

The BAR None Program provides no-cost legal assistance to recently released ex-prisoners on any outstanding civil legal issues that are barriers to successful community reintegration. 

Franklin County Bar Association Advocates, Inc. 

Supports reduced-fee attorneys to provide legal services to low-income children, elders, and victims of domestic violence who are at risk of exploitation, abuse, homelessness, and continued poverty. 

Hampden County Bar Association 

The Children's Law Project provides representation for children involved in cases in the Probate and Family Court. Also recruits and trains lawyers to serve as advocates at a reduced fee for children involved in family law cases. 

Hampshire County Bar Association 

The Domestic Relations Program for Children program provides direct representation for children exposed to conflict in domestic relations cases in Hampshire County and who are ineligible for any other form of legal assistance. The Hampshire Elder Law Program addresses the unmet civil legal needs of the low-income elders age 60+ through reduced and no-cost representation by local attorneys. 

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) 

The Berkshire Immigrant Center assists low-income Berkshire County immigrants by providing advice, information, advocacy, referral, and support on issues related to immigration, employment, citizenship, housing, and social services. Also conducts a semi-monthly walk-in clinic offering clients consultation with an immigration attorney.   

Quabbin Mediation 

The Central Massachusetts Court Mediation Project provides free mediation services for small claims cases in Orange and Eastern Hampshire District Courts, and referrals from the Franklin County Probate and Family Court's Orange sessions. Veteran mediators, trained through Quabbin's Veteran Mediation Program, are used for any cases involving veterans. 

Safe Passage 

The Legal Advice and Referral Panel provides legal assistance to low-income survivors of domestic violence. Services are provided by a staff attorney and a panel of reduced fee attorneys who provide legal consultation, advice, and representation to clients 

YWCA of Central Massachusetts 

The Court Advocacy Program provides certified advocates onsite in the district and probate courts to provide advocacy and support services to victims of domestic violence seeking intervention and protection through the courts. 

GREATER BOSTON 

Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston 

The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Project provides artists and arts organizations—vital yet traditionally indigent populations—with equal access to legal resources, via direct legal representation, referrals to pro bono and low-fee counsel, and educational programming. 

Boston CASA, Inc 

The mission of Boston CASA is to ensure a safe and permanent home for court involved children in Suffolk County who have experienced abuse and neglect. CASA recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers who are appointed by judges of the Suffolk County Juvenile Court to serve and advocate for those children as CASAs.  

Casa Myrna Vazquez 

Provides legal representation, information and referrals, legal counseling, court accompaniment, outreach, and education to survivors of domestic violence who are shelter guests, community clients, and hotline callers. Also runs a medical-legal partnership at MGH and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an anti-trafficking program.  

City Life/Vida Urbana 

Bilingual, community organization whose mission is to fight for racial, social, and economic justice and gender equality by building working class power through direct action, coalition building, education, and advocacy.  

De Novo 

Provides direct legal services, community legal education and reform advocacy in areas of family law, homelessness prevention and government benefits, using volunteer attorneys and staff. 

Finex House, Inc. 

The Legal Advocacy Program provides in-house, comprehensive legal services for family law issues to survivors of domestic abuse and their children, such as divorce, spousal support, child custody and support, benefits, housing advocacy, and immigration issues.  

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) 

Provides free civil legal assistance and representation on civil matters to the neediest residents in the Boston and 31 surrounding cities and towns.  

Justice at Work 

The Small Claims Wage Theft Project assists low-income workers to use small claims court as an effective tool to rectify, punish, and deter wage theft. 

Kids in Need of Defense 

Serves unaccompanied immigrant children through a holistic approach that addresses both their social and legal needs, including by providing direct representation to high-needs unaccompanied immigrant children with complex legal cases that are not well-suited for pro bono presentation.  

Lawyers for Civil Rights  

Fosters equal opportunity and fights discrimination on behalf of people of color and immigrants, engaging in creative and courageous legal action, education, and advocacy in collaboration with law firms and community partners.  

Pine Street Inn 

The Homeless Court Program assists homeless individuals in the removal of default warrants for low-level felonies which impede their ability to secure housing, employment, and substance disorder treatment. 

Project Citizenship 

Aims to increase the naturalization rate in Massachusetts by providing free legal services to help lawful permanent residents apply for and achieve U.S. citizenship. 

Rian Immigrant Center  

Welcomes and supports more than 3,500 immigrants and refugees from more than 120 countries every year, empowering newcomers with critical integration services so they can reach stability, contribute to their communities, and flourish. 

Third Sector New England 

The Clubhouse Family Legal Support Project provides legal representation to low-income parents with mental illness who are at risk of losing custody and all contact with their children. The project is a collaboration with the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee. 

Volunteer Lawyers Project 

Increases access to justice by delivering high quality pro bono civil legal services to eligible clients in the Greater Boston area. 

Youth Advocacy Foundation 

The EdLaw Project provides educational advocacy to the state's highest risk children, as well as training and technical assistance to professionals and parents working with this population. The EdLaw Project is an initiative of the Youth Advocacy Foundation of CPCS, housed within the Youth Advocacy Division. 

METROWEST  

Community Dispute Settlement Center 

Provides mediation services to low- and moderate-income litigants in the Probate and Family and District Courts. Also provides mediation to address issues related to married and unmarried separating couples, as well as small claims, summary process, and other complex civil issues.  

De Novo 

Provides direct legal services, community legal education and reform advocacy in areas of family law, homelessness prevention and government benefits, using volunteer attorneys and staff. 

Dove, Inc. 

The Legal Advocacy Program provides direct legal assistance through advice, document preparation, and/or limited representation to domestic violence survivors. 

Housing Families, Inc 

The Pro Bono Legal Services program assists low-income clients at risk of becoming homeless by staffing the Lawyer for the Day Program at Malden District Court and the Woburn session of the Northeast Housing Court and by providing weekly Eviction Defense Clinics.  

Mediation Works, Inc. 

The Eviction Mediation Program provides court-connected mediation services for summary process cases at six district courts in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Plymouth Counties to prevent homelessness and streamline court proceedings. Also recruits and trains volunteer mediators, with a special focus on multilingual mediators. 

MetroWest Legal Services 

Provides legal advocacy to protect and advance the rights of the poor, elderly, disabled and other disenfranchised people and to assist them in obtaining legal, social and economic justice.  

MetroWest Mediation Services, Inc. 

The Court Mediation Services Program provides mediation services to individuals referred by the Framingham, Natick, Concord, Marlborough District Courts, as well as the Middlesex County Juvenile and Probate and Family Courts. 

Middlesex County Bar Association 

The Pro Bono Conciliation Program mediates appropriate cases in the Middlesex Probate and Family Court using pro bono conciliators.  

Saheli, Inc. 

The Legal Advocacy Program increases awareness about the cultural aspects and challenges unique to immigrant communities by organizing workshops for law students at Boston area law schools. Also organizes free legal clinics and educational workshops led by practicing attorneys, making legal help for immigrant victims of domestic violence more accessible. 

NORTHEAST 

Essex County Bar Association 

Pro bono attorneys serving as lawyer for the day provide legal advocacy and mediation to low-income or marginalized litigants.  

Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center 

The Domestic Violence Family Law Project provides legal advocacy, direct representation, and support with safety and family law issues to low-income victims of domestic violence in northern Essex County. 

North Shore Community Mediation, Inc. 

The Court and Community Mediation Program provides pre-screening and mediation services for small claims and summary process sessions in the Salem, Peabody, and Gloucester District Courts, for juvenile CRA or HOP cases from Essex County Juvenile Court, and for complex divorce and separation cases from the Salem session of the Essex County Probate and Family Court. 

Northeast Legal Aid 

Offers free civil legal services to low-income and elderly individuals and families in northeast Massachusetts.  

SOUTH COASTAL 

Barnstable County Bar Association 

Provides direct legal assistance to pro se individuals, who are not otherwise represented, at court and runs the Grandparent Advocacy Program.  

Bristol County Bar Association 

The Pro Bono Conciliation Project seeks to remove as many cases as possible from the Bristol County Probate and Family Court trial docket and to get the parties to self-determined case outcomes. 

Cape Mediation 

The Cape Cod Court Mediation and Conciliation Program provides no-fee mediation services in Barnstable and Nantucket Counties. Also provides summary process mediation in the Falmouth and Orleans District Courts, small claims mediation in the Falmouth and Nantucket District Courts, and a civil conciliation program in the Orleans and Barnstable District Courts. 

Catholic Social Services of Fall River, Inc. 

The Immigration Law Program provides low and no-cost legal assistance for low-income refugees and immigrants, including representation in court proceedings and interviews, multi-lingual community education forums, and outreach to local detainees and victims.  

Independence House 

Provides free culturally and community-informed legal assistance to low-income survivors of domestic and sexual violence, in collaboration with a pro bono panel of attorneys. Includes assistance with legal issues related to housing and economic security, family law, benefits, relocation, and stabilization.   

Pilgrim Advocates, Inc. 

Provides a Lawyer for the Day program in the Plymouth and Brockton Probate and Family Courts every court day of the year, as well as two attorneys one day a week in the Southeast Housing Court. 

Plymouth County Bar Association 

The Probate and Family Court Conciliation Program trains pro bono conciliators and supports a program coordinator with the goal of removing as many cases as possible from the trial docket. 

South Coastal Counties Legal Services 

Provides free legal services to low-income residents throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.  

The Women’s Center  

The Legal Advocacy Program assists individuals seeking protection from abusive relationships by advising them of their options regarding filing restraining orders and/or criminal charges, by offering victims the information and resources needed to make informed choices, and by assisting them to access pro-bono legal services. 

WE CAN 

The Legal Assistance Program provides free legal consultations to low-income women of Cape Cod regarding primarily family law matters, including divorce, child support, and custody issues. Also provides attorney-led divorce boot camps, family law overview workshops, workshops on legal issues facing grandparents raising grandchildren, and workshops on child support.