Mission Statement

Since 1990, the Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has been committed to the premise that no New Yorker should be denied access to justice because of poverty, and that the private bar can provide a powerful force to ensure equal access through its pro bono efforts. The Brooklyn VLP seeks to address the unmet legal needs of the indigent in Brooklyn who do not have access to private representation. VLP maintains a standing commitment to the principle that the system will fail unless it is accessible to everyone. To meet its objective, VLP strives to achieve the following goals:

• engage private practice attorneys in community legal work;
• form bridges between the private bar, educational institutions, social service agencies, and legal services offices to cooperatively serve the needs of Brooklyn's indigent population;
• produce free training programs and manuals in various areas of poverty law; and build a support system for volunteers who agree to take cases on for free.

The VLP assists low-income Brooklyn residents in the areas of Family Law, Consumer Law, Foreclosure, Elder Law, and 17-A Guardianship.