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Blog Post  Superior Court Lawyer for the Day in Massachusetts

This new program, which operates every Thursday, offers free legal help to self-represented litigants, or people without lawyers, in Superior Court civil cases. Volunteer attorneys provide guidance and advice to help steer people through the court system.
1/23/2025
  • Trial Court Law Libraries
Man typing on a laptop.

About the program

The Superior Court Lawyer for the Day Program provides free legal assistance to self-represented individuals in Superior Court civil cases, regardless of income. Volunteer lawyers are available to offer guidance and advice virtually though personal mobile devices or computers by signing into a dedicated Zoom room platform. In some instances, they may be able to provide continuing representation.

What types of Superior Court cases can the program help with?

The program is available to all self-represented litigants in civil cases in Superior Court for which there is no right to counsel, such as breach of contract, appealing a decision of an administrative agency, assistance in asking the court for a later date, neighbor disputes, restraining orders, or any other kind of civil case not specifically excluded. The program does not assist with contingency fee cases, such as medical malpractice, and can only provide procedural advice for personal injury cases; however, the Lawyer for the Day can help in connecting people with lawyers in this area. At this time, the program can not assist in cases where people are incarcerated.

How to use the program

Drop-ins

The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis for self-represented people to ask questions of an attorney. This is a statewide program and there may be some wait time.  

Reservations

There are also a limited number of pre-reserved 30-minute timeslots available for Thursday sessions, which self-represented individuals can sign up for in advance online via their Legal Squirrel platform. You can also use the following QR code:

QR Code to sign up for a pre-reserved timeslot on Legal Squirrel

Information you might need to provide

If you drop-in on a Thursday, or if you reserve a timeslot in advance, it’s recommended to provide:

  • your name
  • contact information
  • docket or case number
  • and any other information that might be relevant to help the Lawyer for the Day prepare to meet with you

It's best to make the most of your time together, which is up to a half hour.

Interested in volunteering?

The program is staffed by volunteer lawyers through the Massachusetts Bar Association. Lawyers who are members of the Massachusetts Bar Association who are interested in volunteering may find more information about participation by visiting this page on the Legal Squirrel platform.

  • Trial Court Law Libraries 

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