Volunteer opportunities
volunteer opportunities for legal professionals
There are numerous ways to bring your legal skills and talents to help Illinois immigrants get the legal support they need. Lawyers, law students, and other legal professionals can assist with workshops and clinics, document preparation, and full client representation.
centralized workshops
Through the Immigrant Legal Support Program (ILSP), five legal service agencies, partnering with other legal service providers, manage centralized workshops that screen for and provide immigration-related services.
Some of these services can be performed by volunteer legal professionals. Training and malpractice insurance are provided for all workshop volunteers; bilingual skills preferred, but interpreters can be provided to pro bono attorneys as available; bilingual legal professionals other than lawyers are welcome.
The Resurrection Project
Chicago | Westside
Monday & Tuesday | 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM or 8:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Type: Pro Bono (legal and support staff) and Law Students*
Volunteers assist with: Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Work permits (EAD), emergency planning documents, and other tasks based on experience and/or language capabilities
*Supervised by experienced immigration attorneys
North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic
North Suburbs
Tuesdays & Fridays | 3-4 hr. commitment (times may vary based on availability)
Type: Licensed Illinois Attorneys; may be inactive or retired*
Volunteers assist with: Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Work permits (EAD), and asylum applications; Requests for Evidence and Changes of Venue
*Supervised
For more information about volunteering with NSLAC, please email:
Lia Kim | lkimyi@nslegalaid.org or Marina Burka | mburka@nslegalaid.org
Chicago Workers Collaborative
West Suburbs
Thursdays | Berwyn, IL
Volunteers assist with: Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Work permits (EAD), and other tasks after legal consultation screening
For more information about volunteering with CWC, please email:
Cristina Guzman | cristina@chicagoworkerscollaborative.org
The Immigration Project
Downstate
2-3 times / week | Central & Southern Illinois: Springfield, Carbondale, Normal, Kankakee, Peoria, and Beardstown
Volunteers assist with: Work permits (EAD) and parts of asylum applications
For more information about volunteering with TIP, an updated weekly schedule, or to sign up for an upcoming workshop, please email:
Hannah Cliff | hcliff@immigrationproject.org
other opportunities
Legal service organizations also provide immigration-related services directly through their agencies. Many of those services are provided by staff, but some are supported by volunteer legal professionals.
Below is a list of agencies and their more immediate needs for legal volunteers on immigration matters. All of these agencies provide training and malpractice insurance. Prior experience, language ability, and degree of independence needed vary by opportunity, and are indicated below. These opportunities are limited to attorneys, but legal professionals and interpreters associated with the volunteer attorneys can assist.
National Immigrant Justice Center
NIJC provides training for pro bono attorneys in the substantive area of the opportunity.
Pro bono attorneys must have language ability or capacity to obtain an interpreter when working with non-English speaking clients.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Predicate Orders
Prepare and file predicate orders in state court (typically domestic relations or probate) to enable an immigrant child to file for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Agency takes case for immigration component
Bond Hearings
Prepare and file bond motions in Immigration Court to secure release of noncitizens detained in ICE custody
No prior experience necessary
Long-term Commitments (Asylum, U-Visas, VAWA)
Requires ability to handle cases through completion in most instances, though some NIJC opportunities are time-bound
NIJC provides technical support throughout
Post-Conviction Relief
Prepare and file petitions for post-conviction relief in state court to vacate old convictions with adverse immigration consequences
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
CVLS offers attorneys and law firms a wide range of pro bono transactional and litigation opportunities, from brief consultations or transactional projects to representation in pending litigation.
Volunteers receive training and support from experienced staff, but volunteers primarily handle cases on their own. Bilingual ability or your own interpreter is preferred, but not required.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Prepare and file predicate orders in state court to allow a parent or guardian to file for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for a minor
Some cases may also need assistance with preparing the immigration application
U-Visa Applications
Assist victims of qualified crimes who have cooperated with law enforcement to file for legal U.S. citizenship status
North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic
NSLAC offers the opportunity for attorney volunteers to work with staff in assisting green card holders interested in applying to become naturalized U.S. citizens. Clinics are typically 2-3 hours, in person at a community center in the northern suburbs.
No immigration experience necessary; bilingual ability or your own interpreter is preferred, but not required.
Instituto del Progreso Latino
Instituto provides citizenship workshops on one Saturday a month from 8 AM - 2 PM on Chicago’s Westside. Volunteers help agency staff answer questions and assist in preparing applications for green card holders to become naturalized U.S. citizens.
Agency follows up with the clients. No experience needed; live remote trainings held the Thursday prior; interpreters provided. Inactive attorneys and law students are eligible.
Pro bono network
Attorneys, including those who are inactive or retired, can volunteer in one or more of three immigration areas listed below.
No immigration experience required; training provided; interpreters available; subject matter experts assist as needed.
U-Visa Applications
Assist immigrant survivors of domestic violence to file for legal U.S. status after assisting law enforcement in their case
Volunteer team meets with the client, helps draft their affidavit, and then completes all the necessary forms and document retrievals; agency then files the application; in partnership with Ascend Justice
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Prepare petition for predicate orders and represent the client in state court to allow a parent or guardian to file for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for a minor
Some cases may require assistance with preparing immigration application as well; in partnership with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
Naturalization Applications
Prepare applications for pre-screened green card holders to become naturalized U.S. citizens
Fully remote; discrete document preparation; agency completes the filing; in partnership with The Resurrection Project
opportunities for non-legal volunteers
Here are some ways that non-legal professionals can get involved in supporting Illinois immigrants:
Assist at legal workshops and clinics
Provide language interpretation and translation
Join a rapid response network
Staff community education events
Support outreach efforts
Provide administrative assistance
To assist in other ways, we encourage you to browse and contact any of the Legal Providers in the PDF list below to find out how you can support their work.