Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii

Direct services are provided by organization staff. This includes intake and information services and limited scope assistance to self-represented litigants. Intake involves the collection of basic information, as well as case screening. Limited scope services involves the provision of discreet and procedural assistance in civil legal proceedings. In 2024, approximately 2,333 direct services were provided to hawaii residents.

Volunteer legal services hawaii also engages in the recruitment of volunteers as well as outreach to the general community to ensure program and service awareness. In 2024, volunteer legal presented a series of recruitment events which included attorney training in areas of law most frequently requested by low-income persons. In addition, approximately 400 neighborhood legal clinics were provided to groups with a focus on veterans, homeless, elderly and families.

All other program service accomplishments primarily include re-employment and community service (racs) program. The racs program is designed to assist those who want to be employed but are held back due to a license stopper for unpaid traffic fines. The purpose of the racs program is to recall eligible unpaid o'ahu traffic tickets from collections in order to assist hawai'i residents in lifting court-imposed driver's license stoppers from their records.