What is Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts?
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) is a joint program of the Dade County Bar Association Put Something Back program and the Arts & Business Council. The program provides pro bono legal assistance through volunteer attorneys on specific client requests for the Miami-Dade region only. VLA does not guarantee that all legal matters of the organization or individual artist will be settled. We also provide legal clinics, seminars for attorneys and a legal series for the arts.
Do You Qualify for a Pro-Bono Attorney?
In order to be eligible for pro bono legal service applicants should meet the following requirements; however, each case will be considered on its individual merits:
Cultural Organizations
- 1. Organization must be a charitable nonprofit arts organization as designated by the IRS.
- 2. Organization's legal problem must be closely related to its function as a nonprofit arts organization.
- 3. Organization operates with an annual budget under $250,000. Waivers may be sought for this eligibility guideline depending on the specific situation.
Individual Artists
- 1. The applicant's legal problem must be closely related to his or her status as an artist, author, performer, etc.
- 2. An applicant's income must not exceed federal poverty guidelines. Click here to see the current guidelines.
*As an individual artist based in Miami, FL if you do not meet the above requirements, you may be eligible for a Low-fee referral to an attorney that will assist you at an affordable fee.
VLA reserves the right to reject a client's application for assistance for a variety of reasons.