Reporting Your Services

We understand that you want to spend your time helping clients, not figuring out administrative paperwork.

However, hearing back from you is essential to our continued funding (as well as our accurately reporting your hours for CLE credit, if applicable). Here is a streamlined list of the procedures we ask you to follow when helping a pro bono client through VLN.

WALK-IN CLINICS

  • Complete both sides of a Clinic Data Sheet for each client you see and return it to your clinic assistant.
  • If you write a letter or make a phone call, please tell us! These are considered "brief services," have a much higher positive outcome rate, and are of special interest to our funders.
  • If you wish to provide full representation services, follow the procedures under "Full Representation Cases."

CLINICS BY APPOINTMENT

  • After you have seen the client, contact your case placement coordinator at VLN to report what service you provided (or complete the online Scheduled Clinic Case Closing Form). If you are helping the client on a full representation basis, please also follow the procedures under “Full Representation Cases” below.

FULL REPRESENTATION CASES

  • At the end of the case, complete the Full Representation Case Closing Form and send VLN a copy of the final order. (It is especially helpflu to hear from you what tangible benefit the client received as a result of your representation. We (and our funders) want to know!)

OTHER COMMONLY USED FORMS

Client Acknowledgement Form (Workshops) - for assisted pro se workshops (helping pro se litigants complete paperwork) (updated July 08).

Brief Services Form - Limited scope agreement for Negotiated Payment Plan and Letters to Creditors (when the client is between 125% - 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines).

If you have any questions or concerns about these procedures, please contact Martha Delaney at 612-752-6676.

  Thank you for your commitment to pro bono and for assisting clients in need!