The State Bar of Arizona is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living
The State Bar of Arizona and volunteer attorneys make legal assistance accessible.
The world can often feel complex and daunting. When people are suddenly faced with legal issues, those feelings are often amplified. The stress over finding an attorney, where to start, and if they can even afford one often looms over a consumer's head - but the process doesn't need to feel impossible. The State Bar of Arizona can help those who need legal assistance. It's right there in our mission statement; "The State Bar of Arizona exists to serve and protect the public with respect to the provision of legal services and access to justice."
Among many other consumer outreach efforts, the State Bar hosts monthly free legal clinics. One year after the inception, the clinics are now offered in-person and virtually. The State Bar has also partnered with ABC 15 for a monthly live phone bank on legal issues impacting Arizona consumers. Between the legal clinics, phone banks, and other events, nearly 2,000 consumers have been served by 138 volunteer attorneys, totaling 349.5 volunteer hours in 2023 alone.
This continuing push for access to justice would not be possible without volunteer attorneys adding extra hours to their workdays or giving up a Saturday to help fulfill the Bars mission. The State Bar's Public Service Center Manager, Fabiola Perez, recruits and works with the attorneys and sees firsthand the vital role they play in the overall goal. "We have a dual mission - serve attorneys so they can be the best for the public. We also ensure the public has access to justice. Over the past few years, the State Bar of Arizona has worked with hundreds of volunteer attorneys to provide free legal clinics to consumers. These clinics are invaluable because they provide people with a jumping-off point to address their legal needs, "said Perez.
In 2022, more than 16,000 calls came into the State Bar of Arizona through the Phoenix Resource Center and the Public Service Center.
While legal assistance is in constant demand, checking in on those providing the services is a priority for Benjamin Taylor, President of the Board of Governors at the State Bar of Arizona. Since being appointed to the role earlier this year, Taylor has made it a presidential priority to address mental health issues in the legal profession.
"We know that the practice of law is stressful and that lawyers frequently struggle with substance use and mental health disorders, as well as stress and burnout. Encouraging wellness and wellbeing and encouraging those struggling to get the help they need without shame or stigma is a priority for The State Bar of Arizona," Taylor said.
The Bar has also expanded its consumer focused Video Law Library, which houses a digital collection of free content designed to demystify the legal process.
While the Bar collaborates with many legal organizations throughout the state, its closest partnership is with its sister organization, the Arizona Bar Foundation. A major stakeholder in the state's access to justice efforts, the Foundation oversees several programs and initiatives that educate and connect people with legal help.
For more information on legal resources throughout Arizona, visit azbar.org and click on "For the Public as well as azbf.org.
