Introduction
| Non-profit, public
interest law firms are operated as tax-exempt public interest organizations. They
operate with funds provided by tax-deductible grants, gifts and donations. Their
mission is to use their grant money to provide legal representation to individuals such as
yourself.
These firms have limited budgets, and they need to carefully select the cases they
represent.
It is your job to determine the "right" firm for your type of case, and to
"sell" your discrimination case to the firm! |
| Important Note: Preserve your legal rights! You must file a complaint
with the proper authorities within a specified period of time! Failure to do so may
result in forfeiture of your claim of reverse discrimination.
Consult a qualified attorney as
soon as possible. |
|
It's
Like a Job Search
You should think about your search for a public interest law firm as if you were
conducting a job search.
You need to find a firm that is interested in your case. You need to make a good
presentation of your case. And you need to assure the firm that you are in it for the long
haul, i.e., that you are willing to actively participate with them in the prosecution of
your complaint even if it takes several years.
General
Guidelines
| 1.0 |
Write down a
complete description of the facts and circumstances pertaining to the discrimination you
believe you have suffered. Include the exact nature of the discrimination (eg., race
discrimination, gender discrimination, age discrimination). Include all relevant
details: How did it happen, when did it happen, who said what to whom, on what dates, why
you think this constitutes illegal discrimination. (Don’t try to play lawyer,
and don't use legal jargon.) Present the facts as concisely as possible.)
You might find it helpful to write your case as a timeline or a chronology: On Date
1 this happened; on Date 2 I complained to my supervisor and said this; on Date 3 employee
John Doe said this to me, and Jane Smith was a witness; on Date 4 they terminated me, and
so on.
Revise and edit your summary at least twice to make sure it is clear and logical. Be sure
to include specific dates when the discrimination occurred, as well as the names of
witnesses or participants. |
| 2.0 |
Review the list of
firms on our main Legal Help page. Visit their web
sites and look for some kind of description of the firm's area of specialization.
Review some of the discrimination cases they’ve handled if they've posted
summaries. (Don’t be discouraged, however, if you can’t find a case that
sounds exactly like yours!) |
| 3.0 |
Pick one firm
to start with. |
| 4.0 |
Make your first
contact by telephone. You
may be told up front "Please mail us your materials." But make the phone call
first.
Do NOT e-mail them for the first
contact unless they specifically request it. |
| 4.1 |
The phone call: Call
the firm and ask if you can speak to an associate or a lawyer about your discrimination
case. You may be asked to fax (or e-mail, or mail) a summary of your case. You
may need to wait for a call back, and it may take several days or even a week or more to
get a call back. SCRIPT:
"Hello, my name is ____, and I'd like to speak to an associate about a discrimination
complaint." |
| 4.2 |
If you are put
through to an associate, very briefly summarize your case. SCRIPT: "Mr. / Mrs. X thank you for taking my call. I’m
looking for assistance with my discrimination case against (whomever)."
(The associate/lawyer may or may
not have time to talk with you, and may simply ask you to send them your materials.) |
| 4.3 |
One goal of
contacting the first firm is to begin building a "warm referral list" of names
and firms! Keep this in mind. |
| 5.0 |
Assume the first
firm turns you down. Don’t
take it personally, they get many requests for assistance but only have limited resources.
GET REFERRALS!
Politely ask them for the name(s)
of other individuals at other firms who might be able to help you with your case!
If your contact seems willing,
see if you can get two or three referrals.
SCRIPT: "Mr. X, can you suggest one or
two names of firms I might contact for assistance?" |
| 6.0 |
Follow up the warm
referrals. You now have an
advantage: You can address your next correspondence to a specific name.
This time, you should make
contact by U.S. Mail (or via an overnite delivery service).
Be sure to include the following
materials: |
| 6.1 |
Materials: The
cover letter. In the very
first sentence be sure to mention the fact that Ms. X at Firm X referred you to
them. This is very important and makes it more likely they will at least skim
through your materials.
Then, briefly review your
discrimination complaint in plain language. In general, the cover letter should never be
longer than two typewritten pages. |
| 6.2 |
Materials:
Attach your detailed case summary as a separate document. |
| 7.0 |
Timing your
followup. Give them time to
receive and review the material. (If U.S. Mail, assume it took your package 3 days
to get there, and another 2 days for your "target" to open the envelope --
that’s a total of 5 business days.) Then call them on the phone to follow up! |
| 7.1 |
When you get your
"warm referral" on the phone, remember you are essentially conducting a business
transaction. Be clear, concise and self-assured. (This may require scripting
your half of the conversation ahead of time. Don’t laugh! This can be a
very helpful technique.) SCRIPT:
"Thank you for taking my call, Mr. Z. I sent you some materials pertaining to
my discrimination case, and I wanted to see if you had received them and if your firm may
be able to help me."
(Remember to treat this
transaction as if you were applying for a job that you really want! Be respectful
and deferential. The man or woman at the other end of the line has the expertise to
help you.) |
| 7.2 |
If they turn you
down, they will probably tell you why. They may be too busy with other cases, or
they might not handle your particular type of case. In any event, be sure to obtain the following information before
you conclude the conversation:
- "Is there a particular reason that my
case isn't acceptable?" (If they didn’t already tell you.)
- "Can you suggest any way I could
improve the presentation of my case my chances with another firm?"
- "Can you give me a referral to a firm,
and a contact name, who you think might be able to help?"
|
| 8.0 |
Go back to Step 6.0
and repeat the cycle. |
Summary
| Eventually you may
land a firm that is interested. Promptly supply them with any additional materials
they may request. The firm may bring a private lawyer (co-counsel) into the picture,
and may ask you to contact him or her for further discussion. If this is the case,
it is imperative that you take the initiative to make the recommended contact with the
co-counsel.
You can expect this process to take anywhere from several weeks to several months.
Some non-profit law firms must present prospective cases to their board of directors for
approval, and their board of directors may only meet 2 times or 4 times per year.
This might mean you have to wait until the firm's next board meeting before you find out
if your case has been accepted. |
| Important Note: Preserve your legal rights! You must file a complaint
with the proper authorities within a specified period of time! Failure to do so may
result in forfeiture of your claim of reverse discrimination.
Consult a qualified attorney as
soon as possible. |
|
End Legal Help - Guidelines for Finding a Public Interest Law Firm |
