Volunteer & Pro Bono Opportunities to Support Survivors
Put your skills, experience, and time to work supporting survivors of crime.
Volare offers opportunities for attorneys, professionals, and community members to contribute to survivor-defined justice through legal assistance, advocacy, and volunteer projects.
Why volunteer with Volare?
There are many ways to support survivors, whether you're an attorney interested in pro bono representation, a professional offering specialized skills, or a community member looking to contribute your time.
Volare works with volunteers to expand access to legal assistance, strengthen advocacy efforts, and support programs that respond to survivors' needs.
Pro Bono Opportunities for Attorneys
Volare partners with law firms and individual attorneys to expand access to legal assistance for survivors of crime. Our pro bono partners contribute their expertise through direct representation, legal research, and other projects that advance survivors' rights.
Whether you're interested in working directly with survivors or contributing your legal expertise behind the scenes, there are several ways to get involved.
Co-Counseling & Representation
Pro bono attorneys work alongside Volare's legal team to provide representation and support to survivors navigating complex legal matters. Opportunities may involve crime victims' rights, civil protection orders, family law, appeals, and other legal issues affecting survivors.
The nature of each partnership depends on the case, the survivor's needs, and the experience and availability of participating attorneys.
Independent Representation & Referrals
Sometimes survivors need legal assistance that falls outside Volare's direct representation capacity or areas of practice.
Through our pro bono partnerships, we may connect survivors with attorneys or law firms willing to independently evaluate and potentially accept these matters. These opportunities allow attorneys to provide assistance in areas where survivors might otherwise face barriers to finding representation.
Interested in Other Pro Bono Opportunities?
Not all pro bono work involves direct representation. Attorneys can also contribute through legal research, policy analysis, appellate projects, and other initiatives that draw on their professional expertise.
Explore our Professional Skills & Project-Based Volunteering opportunities below to learn more.
Stay Connected With Pro Bono Opportunities
Interested in contributing your professional expertise to Volare? Our Pro Bono Newsletter shares opportunities for attorneys and other professionals to support survivors through legal representation, research, policy projects, and other specialized work.
you can make a difference.
Professional Skills & Project-Based Volunteering
You don't have to be a litigator—or even an attorney—to contribute your professional expertise to Volare's work.
We collaborate with professionals from a variety of fields on research, analysis, and specialized projects that strengthen our programs, support advocacy efforts, and help us respond to survivors' needs.
Research & Analysis
Volunteers can contribute to research and analytical projects involving legal issues, public policy, program development, organizational practices, and other areas relevant to Volare's work.
Projects may include legal or policy research, data analysis, evaluating emerging issues, or developing resources for staff and community partners.
Specialized Professional Expertise
Professionals with experience in accounting, finance, technology, communications, consulting, and other fields can contribute skills that help Volare strengthen its programs and operations.
Opportunities vary based on organizational needs and may involve discrete projects or longer-term collaborations.
Strategic & Capacity-Building Projects
Some volunteer opportunities focus on improving how Volare operates and delivers services. These may include developing tools, evaluating processes, conducting research, or helping staff implement new approaches.
We welcome opportunities to explore projects that align with a volunteer's expertise and Volare's priorities.
anyone can participate. No legal experience required.
Survivors’ Rights Watch
Survivors' Rights Watch is a volunteer initiative that helps Volare monitor how crime victims' rights are respected in the criminal legal system.
Inspired by court watch programs across the country, trained volunteers observe proceedings at DC Superior Court and document what they see, including potential rights violations and barriers survivors may encounter.
How Volunteers Make a Difference
Volunteers serve as the program's eyes and ears in the courtroom. Their observations help Volare identify patterns, better understand survivors' experiences in the court system, and inform reports and advocacy efforts aimed at strengthening accountability and protecting victims' rights.
Volunteers typically commit a few hours each month to observing misdemeanor or felony court proceedings and completing brief observation reports.
You don't need to be an attorney or have previous legal experience to participate. Volare provides training to help volunteers understand what to observe and how to document their findings.
General Volunteer Opportunities
You don't need a legal background or specialized professional experience to make a difference at Volare.
We welcome community members who want to contribute their time and talents to supporting survivors and strengthening our work. Depending on organizational needs, volunteer opportunities may include assisting with events, supporting special projects, and helping with other activities that advance Volare's mission.
Volunteer opportunities vary throughout the year, and we may not always have immediate openings.
Sign up for our Volunteer Newsletter to hear about upcoming opportunities and ways to get involved.