In 2015 a consortium of area law firms, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, other legal service organizations, the Clerks and Justices of the Appeals Court, and the Supreme Judicial Court developed the Pro Bono Appellate Program to provide legal services to eligible low-income, self-represented litigants in the Massachusetts appellate court system. As part of this effort, the program hosts a weekly clinic at which volunteer attorneys are available to provide legal assistance to eligible litigants, with the potential for further representation on appeal. The clinic is usually housed in the Appeals Court Clerk’s Office and operates every Wednesday from 12:30-4PM. Since the pandemic we have transitioned to a remote clinic so we can continue providing assistance to self-represented eligible litigants.

The training will explain the history and purpose of the program, and provide the nuts-and-bolts for volunteer attorneys who will staff the clinic. Appellate attorneys and legal services attorneys will discuss appellate procedure and strategies and highlight special considerations for housing and family law appeals.