Recently, I received an e-mail from an attorney in the Lafayette area, which stated, "This may be a silly question but what is LVL?" I believe there are no silly questions because if questions were considered silly, many of mine would fall into that category. This is a commonly asked question and I would like to take this opportunity to provide an answer. LVL stands for Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers; we provide pro bono civil legal services for those who qualify financially.


How do you qualify for the LVL program? We receive virtually all of our cases from Acadiana Legal Service Corp. (ALSC). ALSC completes an initial intake on potential LVL clients, gathering information and determining financial eligibility (generally, 125% of the national poverty guidelines). After completing the initial intake, ALSC sends the qualified cases to the LVL office in order for the LVL coordinator to place each case with a private attorney. Through this collaborative effort with ALSC, LVL places approximately 200 cases per year with private attorneys. Additionally, ALSC helps to fund the LVL program with a portion of their grants. Also, ALSC's professional liability insurance follows the cases and covers the private attorney who accepts an LVL client.


How do you as an attorney benefit from choosing to take LVL cases? LVL presents members of the bar the opportunity to give back to the community by offering your professional services to the less fortunate. All of the individuals who are helped by LVL are unable to afford an attorney. The program helps to provide competent legal representation and access to the legal system for qualified people. I believe if a person is denied the opportunity to receive their day in court then that individual begins to feel disenfranchised and looses faith in our legal system. Choosing to work on pro bono cases also helps to increase the positive image attorneys have in our community. Last but certainly not least, it might even make you feel good.


I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the attorneys and firms who have contributed to the LVL program. The LVL program provides an indispensable service to our community and would not be possible without dedicated professionals like you. If you have any questions or are interested in any other programs offered by LVL including the Protective Order Panel, Lafayette Parish Bar Pro Bono Curator Panel or the legal clinic that will answer everyday basic legal questions, please contact me and I will be happy to assist you.


Thank you


Tammy D. DeRouen
Program Coordinator
Lafayette Volunteer Lawyers

If you would like to accept an LVL Pro Bono Case, please send an email to the LVL office by clicking on the link below.

Click here to send a message to the LVL Coordinator

Working on an LVL Case? You can find many of the tools you need, such as sample forms in the Louisiana Legal Services and Pro Bono Desk Manual. Click on the link below to use this very helpful book!

Louisiana Legal Services and Pro Bono Desk Manual

Looking for Pro se information and documents? Visit the two Web sites below to access the civil library and pro se forms.

Civil Library

Pro Se Forms