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Guidelines for Volunteers
We have found it helpful to provide the attorneys who serve as PVLA volunteers with information that describes their responsibilities as well as their rights within the scope of the PVLA program.
Responsibilities
Attorneys who volunteer with the PVLA program have a responsibility to:
- Be consistently compassionate and professional in delivering legal services
- Be committed to providing the highest quality of services to all PVLA clients
- Treat all arts clients with respect and take the concerns of all PVLA clients as seriously as he or she would the concerns of a paying client.
- Return telephone calls to all PVLA clients in a timely fashion
- Not accept a matter referred to him or her by the PVLA program if the referral could result in a conflict of interest
Rights
Attorneys who volunteer with the PVLA program also have certain rights including the right to:
- Be treated with respect and courtesy by arts clients and PVLA program staff
- Decline any matter that is referred to him or her by PVLA, for any reason
- Withdraw from any matter referred to him or her by PVLA at any time, provided he or she immediately notifies both the arts client and PVLA of the decision to withdraw
- Ask PVLA program staff for assistance, such as a consultation with another attorney in the field
- Decline to provide pro bono assistance to any PVLA client who requests services beyond the scope of the initial PVLA referral
- Decline to offer legal assistance to any client referred by PVLA if the client's actions are offensive to the attorney, provided the attorney immediately notifies the PVLA program director of his or her desicion to not provide assistance
Questions?
Contact Miriam Dechant, Esq., Director of PVLA, at 215.790.3822 or mdechant@artsandbusinessphila.org.
