VLA provides not only an invaluable resource for New York City-area artists, but also an exciting opportunity for attorneys to interact with artists and contribute meaningfully to their work.

To volunteer for in-house consultations or to take a case from our list of available cases, or caselist, VLA requires that attorneys attend a short orientation. At the orientation, important information about VLA’s programs, requirements for volunteers and our administrative procedures will be covered.
All orientations take place at VLA Auditorium: One East 53rd Street, First Floor, New York, NY 10022.

Attorney orientations are conducted by VLA staff.
Please note the following requirements for all attorneys performing volunteer work through VLA:

All volunteer attorneys MUST be covered by their own or their employer’s legal malpractice insurance policy for volunteer work performed through VLA.
Attorneys who have have been admitted to practice for less than 3 years must have a supervising attorney who has been admitted to practice for longer than 3 years. Volunteers are responsible for securing their own supervising attorney
Established in 1969, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) is the leading legal aid and education organization dedicated to New York artists and its arts and cultural organizations (ACOs). VLA strives to protect the artistic community’s livelihoods, businesses, and creative works through access to dedicated legal representation and focused education programs.

To achieve this mission, VLA:

• facilitates pro bono legal representation for low income artists and ACOs,
• offers legal counseling, education programs, advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution services to the entire arts community, and
• trains lawyers to better serve the arts community.