The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) held its quarterly Free Legal Advice Clinic on April 21 and April 22, offering free virtual legal consultations to individuals across Connecticut. The event ran from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day, with volunteer attorneys providing guidance during scheduled online sessions.
The clinic is part of the CBA’s ongoing effort to close the access to justice gap in the state by ensuring that people can obtain reliable legal information regardless of their financial circumstances. According to the CBA, fostering community well-being through free legal advice and pro bono representation is a core mission of the organization according to the official website.
A total of 87 clients received assistance from 31 attorney volunteers and support from 19 law student and paralegal volunteers during this session. Legal topics addressed included family law, immigration, employment issues, estates and probate matters, consumer concerns, bankruptcy cases, housing questions, and civil rights issues.
Volunteer attorney Erin Daly said, “I really do love this program and Lawyers in Libraries. Too often, people go without legal help simply because they think they can’t afford it. Programs like this matter—they make sure people can access real advice early, when it can actually change the outcome.” Jake Dunigan also commented on his experience with the program: “Even before my career started in the law, I’d been a true believer in a system that strives for fairness and justice. There are a lot of barriers to those fair outcomes in the modern courts, but I still believe the intent is there. The clinic gives me a chance to bring that faith to one more person. A slow and steady march toward justice for all that I am proud to be a part of.”
Song Kim, CBA Director of Access to Justice and Equity said: “The Connecticut Bar Association’s Free Legal Advice Clinic is a critical program that addresses the justice gap in CT and meets people where they are, often in moments when they have nowhere else to turn. By tapping into the extraordinary depth and breadth of expertise of our dedicated volunteer attorneys, we’re able to provide meaningful, trusted, and excellent legal guidance helping individuals better understand and protect their rights.”
The CBA runs programs such as these with support from its Law Center according to its official website, as well as partnerships with organizations like the Connecticut Bar Institute for educational efforts according to its official website. The association serves over 7,000 members statewide according to its official website.
As an entity guided by its president alongside both a Board of Governors and House of Delegates according to its official website, CBA continues advancing justice through nonprofit frameworks—delivering education programs along with advocacy initiatives since being founded in 1875 according to its official website.
Through ongoing initiatives like these clinics—and broader pro bono services—the association aims for equitable access within Connecticut’s legal system.
