Here's your chance to talk to a lawyer for free
March 1st, 2021 by admin
Do you have a legal question you would like answered without charge? This Friday, March 5, you can do just that during the 14th 4ALL event, a public service program of the N.C. Bar Foundation. N.C. citizens can talk to a N.C.-licensed lawyer for free on that day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Imagine that.
The 4ALL effort, widely acclaimed nationally, was started in 2008 under the leadership of then-president of the N.C. Bar Association Janet Ward Black, a prominent lawyer in Greensboro.
Who can call? Any adult, including those who speak Spanish. The callers are not limited because of their level of income.
What kinds of calls will be answered? Business, criminal and traffic, consumer/bankruptcy, education, employment, unemployment or workers’ compensation, construction law, estate planning, elder law, eviction and landlord/ tenant law, family law/child issues, foreclosure, governmental benefits, immigration, intellectual property, juvenile justice, personal injury, public benefits, social security benefits, tax law, and veterans’ benefits.
When and where can you call? 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, March 5, at eight different call centers across the state: Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro/Triad, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Over 350 attorney, paralegal and law student volunteers will work together to answer calls. Last year, volunteers answered over 8,000 calls. The program’s mission is to help address the access to justice gap by providing access to a lawyer for members of the public who otherwise are unable to access legal services.
What numbers should you call? The number to call for Winston-Salem and Greensboro/Triad is 336-355-6262. If you cannot get through or you cannot call on March 5, call Legal Aid of North Carolina at 1-866-219-5262, or call the NCBA Lawyer Referral Service at 1-800-662-7660.
How callers should prepare for their call:
Be patient
Have a pen and paper available to write down the information the lawyer gives to you
Write down your basic facts. Prepare a timeline of what happened when
Explain what you have done to resolve your concern or issue so far
Explain what you want or need to happen
For additional information about this innovative program contact the N.C. Bar Foundation at foundation@ncbar.org
Lawyer referral service: LRS is another highly successful NCBA program which annually provides to over 25,000 citizens, regardless of their income level, answers to any number of legal issues. For no more than $50 you can talk to a lawyer for up to 30 minutes in your area that is familiar with your legal topic (1-800-662-7660). Many times, these lawyers will field your questions and answer them without a fee, depending how complex the facts and legal issues are.
“The public benefits greatly from these NCBA/NCBF programs. Providing access to our members for direction about routine legal questions improves access to justice in North Carolina” said Raleigh lawyer Mark Holt, president of NCBA and NCBF. As a career-long member of NCBA and a past president, I would add that these are exactly the kinds of programs in which lawyers should participate.
If you are not able to call next Friday, remember that all lawyers in our state are called upon to provide several pro-bono hours of service each year. (And they are happy to do so, BTW.) When you have a quick question which your instincts tell you to check with your lawyer, call before you act. Your lawyer should answer your quick question as a courtesy, most times. Because your lawyer wants you to avoid the best problem you never have, too, when you assume something is not a problem when it may, in fact, be a problem in waiting.
Remember: An informed choice is a smart choice.
This article was originally written by Mike Wells and published by the Winston-Salem Journal. To read the full article, visit the Winston-Salem Journal online here.
Posted in: WS Journal Articles