We have built trusted relationships with disaster-impacted communities, nonprofit and community partners, government agencies, and recovery organizations across Hawaiʻi. As an established disaster legal services provider, we understand the legal challenges that arise after disasters and have the systems, partnerships, and infrastructure in place to connect attorneys with meaningful opportunities to serve.

When you volunteer with us, you do not have to navigate outreach, client screening, or case identification on your own. We help identify legal needs, connect you with clients whose issues align with your area of practice, and streamline the process so that your expertise can be deployed where it is needed most.

Flexible Opportunities

Whether you can provide brief legal advice, take on a pro bono matter, assist at legal clinics, or contribute specialized expertise, there are multiple ways to get involved based on your availability and practice area.

Meaningful Pro Bono Service

Use your legal skills to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families working to recover from disasters. Your expertise can help people secure housing, resolve insurance issues, protect their assets, and move forward with greater stability.

Volunteer attorneys may be eligible to count qualifying pro bono service toward their licensure and other professional recognition programs. Please consult applicable rules and reporting requirements for eligibility.

Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct (HRPC) Rule 6.1. PRO BONO SERVICE.

A lawyer should aspire to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono services per year. In fulfilling this responsibility, the lawyer should:

      (a)   provide at least 25 hours of legal services without fee or expectation of fee to:

(1)   persons of limited means; or

       (2)   charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters that are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means; and

      (b)  provide any additional services through:

       (1)   delivery of legal services at no fee or substantially reduced fee to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights, or charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes, where the payment of standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organization's economic resources or would be otherwise inappropriate;

       (2)   delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced fee to persons of limited means; or

       (3)   participation in activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession.

      (c)   In lieu of providing 50 hours of pro bono service, a lawyer may exercise the lawyer’s desire to provide pro bono services by contributing at least $500 each year to the Hawai‘i Justice Foundation, or an entity that provides legal services at no fee, or at a significantly reduced fee, to persons of limited means.

      (d)  In addition to performing pro bono services or contributing under subsection (c) each year, a lawyer should voluntarily contribute financial support to organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means.

Disasters may last days, but the legal challenges that follow can persist for months or years. By volunteering your time and expertise, you help ensure that people affected by disasters are not navigating recovery alone. Together, we can strengthen access to justice, support long-term recovery, and help build more resilient communities across Hawaiʻi.