The Clearinghouse is unable to post criminal or non-viable matters. The Clearinghouse is for individuals, communities, and non-profits that would not be able secure legal assistance if not for pro bono assistance. Additionally, they must have a mission to serve a public interest, including public health, conservation, preservation, addressing systemic environmental ills, etc.
If a submitter has not spoken with an attorney prior to submitting a matter, the matter will generally be posted for consultation/advice. This helps the submitter determine possible outcomes, goals, and better understand their options.
Matters are generally reviewed and posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If the Clearinghouse team has questions about a matter, a screening call may be required.
Please expect an email or phone call from a member of ELI’s Clearinghouse team quarterly, in February, May, August, and November. This will be to check in and ensure you are still seeking assistance and your matter remains up to date. However, if you have updates on the nature of your issue, the type of legal assistance you are seeking, or new deadlines at any point please reach out to probono@eli.org.
If your matter is taken by an attorney, please contact the team at probono@eli.org so we can either remove your matter from the website or update it.
Please do not provide more than a few sentences when describing your legal issue and anticipated needs; if an attorney contacts you to discuss the matter, you will at that point have the opportunity to describe in detail the issues you are facing. We do not post additional documents to the Clearinghouse website. Any supporting information or documents should be shared if an attorney agrees to represent you.
Note that while our goal is to have an attorney take on every matter posted to the Clearinghouse, we cannot guarantee that an attorney will contact you or will be able to take on your matter.
Any questions can be directed to probono@eli.org.