VOLUNTEER WITH LIFT: Empower Families to Access Justice

LIFT invites volunteers of all ages and disciplines to participate in its mission to promote access to justice for children and families. We are deeply grateful to our current and past volunteers for contributing to the success and sustainability of our programs.

Who are LIFT’s volunteers? LIFT’s volunteers have a wide range of educational, professional, and personal experiences, but they share a common vision: to improve the experiences of New Yorkers involved in the complex court system. LIFT’s current and past roster of volunteers and interns includes retired professionals, paralegals, law students and recent law school graduates, undergraduate college students, high school students, and lawyers.

Please consider donating your time, enthusiasm, and expertise to LIFT in one or many of the following ways:

>> Answer Questions on LIFT’s Family Law Information Telephone and Email Hotlines: Get trained in one particular area of family law to develop an expertise and be able to answer questions on that topic. Ideal candidates for this opportunity are law students, recent law school or college graduates, and retired lawyers.

Where: LIFT’s Central Office, 350 Broadway, Suite 501, or answer Email Hotline questions from your home or office.
Hours of Operation: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Minimum Time Commitment: 2 hours per week

>> Help Families Navigate the NYC Family Courts: Work side-by-side with LIFT staff at our Family Court-based Sites to answer questions and address concerns regarding Court procedure and family law matters, and hand out our Legal Resource Guides. Ideal candidates for this opportunity are law students, recent law school or college graduates, and retired lawyers.

Where: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan or Queens Family Courthouses
Hours of Operation: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Minimum Time Commitment: 6 hours per month

>> Document Translation: Help non-English speakers navigate the court system by translating LIFT’s Legal Resource Guides into languages other than English.

Skills Required: Fluency in Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian-Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, or Yiddish.
Where: Flexible
Hours: Flexible
Minimum Time Commitment: 1 hour per week

> > Conduct Research to Support LIFT’s Policy Work: Work with LIFT’s Director of Policy and Planning to research local and national issues that impact LIFT’s direct services. Ideal candidates for this opportunity are law or masters level policy students, or recent master’s level graduates with a strong interest in family law and access to justice issues.

Where: Flexible
Hours: Flexible
Minimum Time Commitment: 6 hours per month

> > Graphic Design: Help LIFT communicate with stakeholders by donating graphic and/or web design skills. This is an ideal opportunity for an individual seeking to develop his/her portfolio while making a positive impact on the community.

Where: Flexible
Hours: Flexible
Minimum Time Commitment: 6 hours per month

Extensive training is provided to all LIFT volunteers

For more information or to apply for a position, please send a resume and letter of interest to volunteer@LIFTonline.org.