Volunteer attorneys are the heart of CLC’s mission, ensuring that children and youth in foster care have a powerful voice in the courtroom. As a volunteer, you help give children the information, guidance, and advocacy they need to navigate the child welfare system and make informed decisions about their lives.
CLC offers on-demand new volunteer training for attorneys. We welcome volunteers from local law firms, corporate legal departments, and individual practices. Our trainings not only cover the legal landscape affecting Minnesota foster youth but also provide practical tools to deliver high-quality, consistent representation.
Our dedicated staff attorneys and Youth Resource Manager provide ongoing training and support, so you’ll never be alone in this work. As a CLC volunteer attorney, you’ll have the opportunity to stand beside some of Minnesota’s most vulnerable children—offering them stability, advocacy, and hope as they work toward a brighter future. For many of our clients, their attorney becomes the most consistent and trusted adult in their lives.
Join us in making sure every child’s voice is heard—and every child has a chance to thrive.
Because the smallest voice in the courtroom should be the loudest.
Why Volunteer?
As a CLC volunteer attorney, you have the power to change a child’s life. By providing legal advocacy and support, you help youth in foster care understand their rights, express their wishes, and navigate complex systems. Beyond the courtroom, you become a steady presence in a child’s life—offering guidance, trust, and hope. Volunteering with CLC is not only a chance to make a meaningful impact, but also an opportunity for professional growth, training, and connection with a passionate community of child advocates.
How It Works
CLC provides comprehensive training and ongoing support to help you succeed as a volunteer attorney. You’ll start with a specialized training session covering the legal issues affecting youth in foster care and best practices for child advocacy. Once trained, you’ll be matched with a client and work closely with CLC staff for guidance throughout the case. Our team is here to answer questions, provide resources, and ensure you feel confident every step of the way. You decide how many cases to take on, making it possible to fit this meaningful work into your schedule.
Get Started
Ready to make a difference? Becoming a CLC volunteer attorney starts with a brief intake form and one of our engaging training sessions. Once you’re trained, you’ll join a community of passionate advocates committed to giving Minnesota’s foster youth a voice in the courtroom and beyond. Whether you’re from a law firm, corporate legal department, or solo practice, we’ll support you every step of the way. Join us today and help change a child’s future.
Step By Step Process
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Children’s Law Center and representing youth in foster care. Please fill out the on-demand registration form. After we receive your registration form and payment, the link for the training will be emailed to you.
Upon completion of the training, we will email you a copy of the CLE code required to report your CLE credit to the Minnesota Board of Continuing Education. Please first complete the CLE Completion Verification form here.
New volunteers must complete the Volunteer Attorney Questionnaire, Consent for Release of Information from the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, and Consent to Conduct a Criminal Background Check through the BCA. Download all three of these documents as a single PDF by clicking here.
The background check request will be submitted once these documents are received. Please note that it may take one to two months to obtain the requested background checks from the BCA.
Once Children’s Law Center has reviewed the necessary background checks and paperwork and confirmed your training completion, our Managing Attorney will contact you to discuss the next steps.