Access to Justice Programs

of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association 

Every year lawyers in our community contribute countless hours and provide countless people with the means to obtain justice, the tools to redress wrongs and the resources to become informed legal consumers.  As the oldest bar association in Michigan, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association possesses a rich history of our members serving the public good. In contemplating this history, we should be proud to be attorneys and humbled by the contribution of those dedicated colleagues who have performed extraordinary work in the interest of public justice and welfare. That is why one of the DMBA's highest priorities is to expand and improve our access to justice programs.

The Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association has a long history of providing public service within the community that it serves.  A key part of that service is the Access to Justice Committee (formerly known as the Volunteer Lawyers Program), comprised of a dedicated panel of attorneys involved in pro bono work not because it is 'the thing to do,' but because it is the 'right thing to do.'  The ATJ Programs include all volunteer legal service projects of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (DMBA).

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The majority of projects of the Access to Justice Program (ATJ) represent collaboration between the DMBA and community outreach organizations, legal aid agencies, and local bar associations.  Individual attorneys as well as large law firms and corporate legal departments participate in the various programs.  A listing of the current projects of the ATJ is provided below:

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The Detroit Legal Services Clinic (DLSC) represents a partnership between the DMBA, area legal service providers, and private law firms and corporate legal departments.  On scheduled Thursday afternoons, a law firm or corporate legal department "hosts" a clinic by providing attorneys that meet with and agree to represent low-income individuals with civil cases.

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Street Law Clinic (SLC), a collaborative effort of the DMBA and the National Lawyers Guild, is an advice-only clinic to assist residents of the metropolitan Detroit area with their legal questions.  The goal is to provide quality, free, legal advice and information to a maximum number of people in a given evening.  SLC takes place in various locations and is often scheduled in partnership with local community organizations.

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Project Permanency, a community coalition program to help families (a) obtain and remain in permanent housing, (b) increase their skills and/or income, and (c) achieve greater self-determination by removing legal barriers to achieving permanent housing ((supported by a grant from HUD through Michigan Neighborhood Legal Services)

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Wayne County Juvenile Justice Initiatives, a program to assist the 3^rd Judicial Circuit Court Juvenile Division in the development of pro bono services in delinquency and child protection cases, including the creation of non-legal support services for families and children who are within the courts jurisdiction. 

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Federal Civil Pro Bono Project, a collaboration with the US District Court and the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association to provide attorneys in federal civil cases for non-prisoners and to provide counsel in prisoner civil rights cases.

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The DMBA, Freedom House, and Wayne State University Law School collaborate on the Detained Immigrant Assistance Project (DIAP), a program in which volunteer attorneys provide legal assistance to political refugees as they are legally resettled into Canada or the United States.  Attorneys participating in the DIAP typically do not practice immigration law; an orientation/training session, comprehensive written materials; and follow-through case support are provided for the volunteering attorneys.

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Volunteer Lawyer Mentor Program. Another focus of the ATJ Programs is to provide mentoring for attorneys interested in taking on pro bono cases but who feel they require assistance in particular areas of law.  Attorneys interested in taking on the role of mentor are encouraged to participate in the program in that capacity.  More structured training in areas in which volunteers express interest is provided as needed; this training is frequently a partnership between the DMBA and organizations that collaborate on specific projects (such as the Legal Aid and Defender Association and Freedom House).