Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Overview:

The Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA) program provides pro-bono and low cost legal assistance, educational programs and business counseling to artists and arts and cultural organizations.

Over the years the PVLA program has recruited hundreds of attorneys from Philadelphia and the surrounding region to serve the arts.

Volunteer attorneys work on projects such as negotiating performing contracts for actors, dancers and musicians; protecting copyrights and trademarks; preparing by-laws for newly formed nonprofits; negotiating short- and long-term workspace leases and exhibition agreements; securing protection of artwork; and setting up new community-wide arts initiatives, to name a few.

Remote Opportunities:

Attorney volunteers are encouraged and enabled to participate in remote pro bono consultation or representation of clients following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Benefits of Involvement:
  • Arts and cultural organizations receive access to affordable expertise and solutions that address challenging legal issues.
  • Artists receive legal assistance that is specifically tailored to their needs.
  • Lawyers help address the arts community's legal issues by lending critical expertise and support.
Program Impact:

Over the past 40 years PVLA has provided legal services to thousands of artists and arts and cultural organizations in our region. Due to the tremendous dedication of nearly 700 pro bono attorney volunteers, PVLA continues to provide approximately $1 million a year in legal services.

To understand our impact from the volunteer perspective, watch our 2014 Volunteers of the Year discuss pro bono work in the arts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dg8nMB-exk

  • County(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia
  • Area of law: Arts, Civil Rights, Community Development, Consumer, Debt/Credit/Bankruptcy, Disability, Elder Law, Employment, Housing, Immigration & Naturalization, Life Planning, Nonprofit Organizations, Public Benefits, Taxes, Copyright, Trademark, Patents, Intellectual Property, Contracts, Start-ups, Mergers, Ethics, Compliance, Real Estate, Zoning
  • Populations Served: Children, Communities of Color, Elderly, General Public, Immigrants, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Low Income, Micro-enterprises, Native Americans, Nonprofits, Persons with Disabilities, State Residents, Women, Working poor and unemployed, Arts, culture and the creative economy, inventors
  • Opportunities For: Law Students, Lawyers, Mentors, Nonlitigation Projects, Senior Lawyers
  • Need for non-English services: French, Spanish
  • Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Evenings, Flexible, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Weekends
  • Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: Yes
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Training Required: Yes
  • CLE credit for trainings: Yes
  • Training / Supervision Comments: New PVLA volunteers must attend a CLE training/orientation prior to taking cases. The orientation program includes an overview of the region’s cultural landscape, panel discussions with arts managers and active PVLA volunteers and opportunities to practice your skills through case studies and role-playing exercises. PVLA staff and veteran volunteers may serve as subject-matter experts and mentors to new attorneys or attorneys taking pro bono cases in new areas of business and law. PVLA has hundreds of volunteers who have worked with the arts sector over 35 years, and can identify pro bono teams within or between law firms when requested.
  • CLE credit for pro bono: Yes
  • CLE pro bono comments: PVLA is an accredited Pro Bono CLE provider. 3 credits (2 ethics, 1 substantive) are provided per training. Veteran volunteers may serve as panelists for double credit. Trainings are offered in the spring and fall of each year and are hosted by PVLA at 200 S. Broad St., Suite 700, Philadelphia PA 19102. For more information or to register: http://www.artsandbusinessphila.org/pvla/lawyers.asp
  • Mentoring or supervision offered: Yes
  • Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: No
  • Other Case Load Requirements: Average 5 hours/month on Full Service Representation matters
  • Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), Client counseling (e.g., brief advice), Client intake and screening, Draft legal documents (e.g., briefs), Legal Research, Legislative or policy advocacy, Litigation: Appellate, Litigation: Support (e.g., discovery), Litigation: Trial/Direct Representation, Mentor volunteer lawyers or law students, Prepare legal education materials, Transactional work, Translate legal documents
  • Long Distance Opportunities: Conduct Research, Mentor Volunteer Lawyers
  • Other Long Distance Opportunities: Case acceptance. Attorney volunteers are encouraged and enabled to participate in remote pro bono consultation or representation of clients following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Volunteers may participate long-distance: Yes
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