Pro Bono Assistance
You do not need a lawyer or a law student representative to file or respond to a CCB claim, but you may choose to retain or consult one.
Some lawyers, law school clinics, or organizations may be available to provide legal assistance or representation on a pro bono basis, which means you will not be charged for their services. It also may be possible to engage an attorney at a reduced cost. Please check back periodically because we will be adding additional pro bono resources.
Looking for help?
When assessing what type of assistance you need, please be aware that different organizations offer different levels of services:
- Referral services: Referral services connect you with a lawyer providing services for free or at a reduced cost.
- Consultations: Consultations are a one-time meeting between you and a lawyer in which you will discuss your legal matter. The lawyer may provide their recommended course of action and you can decide whether or not to proceed with representation.
- Limited scope representation: Limited scope representation means the lawyer provides advice and guidance throughout the proceeding, but you’ll handle filings, conferences, and hearings yourself.
- Full scope representation: Full scope representation means the lawyer will not only provide advice and guidance throughout the proceeding but will also handle filings, conferences, and hearings for you.
The CCB lists below two types of organizations—law school clinics and pro bono organizations—that have indicated they are willing to help CCB participants. Many of these organizations have geographic or other requirements that limit which clients they can represent. If you are a CCB participant or potential participant, feel free to reach out to one of these organizations for assistance after checking that the organization accepts clients where you live and reviewing the organization’s website for any other limitations. When reaching out, remember to leave your name and contact information so that the clinic or organization may easily follow up with you.
| Organization Name | Geographic Area the Clinic Serves | Contact Name | Email Address | Phone Number | Public Directory Information Form | Areas of Assistance | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama, Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic | Alabama (AL) | Frederick Spight | fspight@ua.edu | (205) 348-4960 | Download form | Referral Services and Consultations | Clinic Website |
| Southwestern Law School, Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic | California (CA) | Orly Ravid | oravid@swlaw.edu | (213) 738-6602 | Download form | Consultations | Clinic Website |
| University of Miami Startup Clinic | Florida (FL) | Jaime Vining | JRV@friedlandvining.com | (305) 777-1721 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations | Clinic Website |
| University of Maryland Carey School of Law Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic | Maryland (MD); may consider matters in Virginia (VA), Washington DC (DC), and Delaware (DE) | Patricia Campbell | miplrc@law.umaryland.edu | (410) 706-3295 | Download form | Consultations, Limited Scope Representation | Clinic Website |
| Oklahoma City University School of Law, The Collaborative: Law Clinic for Business and Innovation | Oklahoma (OK) | Tia Ebarb Matt | eclinic@okcu.edu | (405) 208-6035 | Download form | Consultations, Limited Scope Representation, Full Scope Representation | Clinic Website |
| Penn State Dickinson Law, Intellectual Property Clinic | Pennsylvania (PA) | Jonathan D'Silva | IPClinic@pennstatelaw.psu.edu | Download form | Consultations, Limited Scope Representation | Clinic Website | |
| University of Puerto Rico, Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Legal Aid Clinic | Puerto Rico (PR) | Victor Rodriguez-Reyes | victor.rodriguez46@upr.edu | (787) 777-1385 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations, Limited Scope Representation, and Full Scope Representation | Clinic Website |
| University of Tennessee College of Law, Legal Clinic | Tennessee (TN), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), and Georgia (GA) | Brian Krumm and Eric Amarante | law@utk.edu | (865) 974-4141 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations, Limited Scope Representation, and Full Scope Representation | N/A |
| Vermont Law & Graduate School, Vermont Small Business Law Clinic | Vermont (VT) | Nicole Killoran | sblc@vermontlaw.edu | (802) 831-1289 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations | Clinic Website |
| George Mason University, The Arts & Entertainment Clinic | Virginia (VA) | Joe Keeley | Joe@theccblawyer.org | (202) 949-4222 | Download form | Full Scope Representation | N/A |
| Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy Clinic | U.S. | Jonathan Askin | blip@brooklaw.edu | (718) 780-7994 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations, Limited Scope Representation, Full Scope Representation | Clinic Website |
| Mitchell Hamline School of Law, IP Clinic | U.S. | Brett Klein | sue.mcbrayer@mitchellhamline.edu | (651) 290-6407 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations, Limited Scope Representation Full Scope Representation | N/A |
| University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Arts & Entertainment Law Clinic | U.S. | Melissa Eckhause and Matthew W. Bower | simkinrg@udmercy.edu | (313) 596-0262 | Download form | Referral Services, Consultations, and Full Scope Representation | Clinic Website |
| University of Houston Law Center - Entertainment Law Clinic | U.S. | Justen S. Barks | jsbarks@central.uh.edu | (713) 743-2094 | Download form | Consultations, Limited Scope Representation, Full Scope Representation | Clinic Website |
| University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law Intellectual Property and Transaction Clinic | U.S. | Cassandra LaRae-Perez | ip.clinic@law.unh.edu | (603) 225-3350 | Download form | Clinic Website |
The Pro Bono Assistance List, includes organizations that may provide referral services, consultations, limited scope representation, and/or full scope representation.
These organizations are typically focused on providing services and resources for individuals working in the arts and have informed the CCB that they are available to consult in CCB matters.
| Organization Name | Geographic Area the Organization Serves | Email Address | Phone Number | Areas of Assistance | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Lawyers for the Arts Lawyer Referral and Information Service | California (CA) | LRIS@calawyersforthearts.org | (888) 775-8995 | Referral services | California Lawyers for the Arts |
| Colorado Attorneys for the Arts | Colorado (CO) | Meredith Badler; CAFTA@cbca.org |
(720) 428-6720 | Referral services and Consultations | Colorado Attorneys for the Arts |
| Lawyers for the Creative Arts | Illinois (IL) | legal@law-arts.org | (312) 649-4111 | Referral services and Consultations | Lawyers for the Creative Arts |
| The Ella Project | Louisiana (LA) | gene@ellanola.org | (504) 250-0429 | Referral services, Consultations, and Limited Scope Representation | The Ella Project |
| Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts | Maryland (MD) | info@mdvla.org | (410) 752-1633 | Referral services | Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts |
| St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts | Eastern Missouri (MO) and Southwest Illinois (IL) | vlaa@vlaa.org | (314) 863-6930 | Referral services, Limited Scope Representation (Negotiation and Mediation) | Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts |
| Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts | New York (NY), Connecticut (CT), and New Jersey (NJ) | vlany@vlany.org | (212) 319-2787 ext. 1 | Referral services and Consultations | Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts |
| Volunteers of Legal Service | New York City (5 boroughs) | microenterprise@volsprobono.org | (212) 966-4400 | Consultations, Limited Scope Representation | Volunteers of Legal Service |
| Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts | Oregon (OR) | legalhelp@oregonvla.org | (503) 451-0413 | Referral services and Consultations | Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts |
| Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts | Greater Philadelphia region; This area encompasses Philadelphia County and surrounding counties located in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and northern Delaware. | nlatona@pvla.org | (267) 416-8940 | Referral services | Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts |
| Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville | Tennessee (TN) | vlpa@abcnashville.org | (615) 460-8274 | Referral services and Consultations | Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the ARTS (VLPA) |
| Washington Lawyers for the Arts | Washington (WA) | info@thewla.org | N/A | Referral services and Consultations | Washington Lawyers for the Arts |
| Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA) | Washington, DC, Virginia (VA), and Maryland (MD) | legalservices@waladc.org | (202) 289-4440 | Referral services and Consultations | Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA) |
Are you a law school clinic or other organization that would like to be included in the Law Student Representation Directory or in the Pro Bono Assistance List?
If you are a law school clinic director and would like your clinic to be listed, please complete the Law School Clinic Public Directory Information Form. If you are a pro bono legal services organization director and your organization has a connection to a law school, complete the Pro Bono Organization Public Directory Information Form. If you are a pro bono organization that is not connected with a law school, please contact asktheboard@ccb.gov.
Please type your answers directly into the appropriate form. Please reach out to asktheboard@copyright.gov with any questions.
Law clinics and pro bono organizations do not need to be listed to participate in CCB proceedings. For additional information about law student and pro bono organization eligibility, please review the final rule on law student representation and the CCB Handbook chapter Representation.