Make the time. Make a difference.
Find and volunteer for pro bono opportunities across Idaho — free for licensed attorneys in good standing with the Idaho State Bar.
How It Works
Five simple steps to make a meaningful difference in your community
- Activate Your Account
Enter the email address you have on file with the Idaho State Bar and your ISB ID number. Accept the terms of use and activate your account.
- Search for Pro Bono Opportunities
Search open cases by legal topic, populations served, and Idaho counties. Find opportunities that match your practice area and availability.
- Receive Alerts
Set the type of opportunities you are interested in and receive email alerts when new cases that fit your criteria become available.
- Volunteer for a Case
When you find an opportunity you are interested in, do a conflict-check and, if clear, request the case directly through the platform.
- Record Your Efforts
Once the case is assigned, keep notes as you work. After completion, record the outcome and time spent to document your contribution to access to justice.
"Every lawyer… has a responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay, and personal involvement in the problems of the disadvantaged can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer."
Model Rule 6.1 of Professional Conduct — American Bar AssociationWhy Pro Bono Matters in Idaho
Access to justice is a cornerstone of a fair legal system
Close the Justice Gap
The need for civil legal services in Idaho far surpasses the available supply. Pro bono attorneys are the single most impactful way to close this gap and ensure equal access to justice.
Support Vulnerable Idahoans
Low-income families, seniors, veterans, and domestic violence survivors often face life-changing legal issues without any representation. Your expertise can make the difference between keeping a home and losing it.
Flexible Commitment
PBOW makes it easy to find opportunities that fit your schedule and practice area — from a single clinic afternoon to ongoing case representation — so you can contribute at whatever level works for you.
Our Partners
PBOW is a collaborative effort supported by leading legal aid organizations and national funders
Frequently Asked Questions
Idaho Pro Bono Opportunities (PBOW) is a free online platform jointly funded by the Legal Services Corporation and operated by Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program (IVLP) and Idaho Legal Aid Services (ILAS). It connects licensed Idaho attorneys with pre-screened civil legal cases for low-income residents.
The platform replaces a purely phone-based placement model with a searchable, alert-driven system that lets attorneys find and claim pro bono cases that match their practice area, location preference, and availability.
Any attorney who is currently licensed and in good standing with the Idaho State Bar (ISB) may activate an account on PBOW. You will need the email address on file with the ISB and your Idaho State Bar ID number to complete registration.
The platform is designed exclusively for Idaho-licensed attorneys who wish to provide civil legal assistance to low-income Idahoans who cannot afford representation.
PBOW lists civil legal matters across a wide range of practice areas, including family law, housing, consumer issues, immigration (naturalization assistance), elder law, civil protection orders, and benefits disputes. Cases are pre-screened by IVLP or ILAS staff before being posted to the platform.
The platform also lists upcoming legal clinics where attorneys can volunteer a few hours rather than taking on a full case, making it easy to contribute regardless of your schedule.
Once your account is activated, you can search for open cases by legal topic, county, and client population. The system allows you to set standing preferences so you receive automatic email alerts whenever a new opportunity matching your criteria is posted.
This means you do not need to check the platform manually — relevant opportunities come directly to your inbox, making it easier to respond quickly to cases that are a good fit for your skills and schedule.
After identifying a case you are interested in, you should perform a conflict check to confirm you can ethically represent the client. If no conflict exists, you can submit a request through PBOW to accept the case.
Once the case is assigned to you, the platform allows you to track case notes, record the time you spend, and log the outcome after the matter concludes. This information supports IVLP and ILAS reporting to the Legal Services Corporation and recognizes your contribution to access to justice in Idaho.
Approximately 91% of civil cases in the Idaho Supreme Court involve at least one self-represented party — a statistic that reflects the enormous gap between the demand for civil legal services and what low-income Idahoans can access. Without representation, vulnerable residents risk losing housing, custody rights, or critical benefits through procedural missteps alone.
PBOW was created specifically to address this gap. By making it easier for attorneys to find, evaluate, and commit to pro bono work, the platform helps ensure that more low-income Idahoans can navigate the civil justice system with qualified legal support.
There is no mandatory minimum commitment. Attorneys choose the opportunities they accept based on their own availability and interests. Some cases may require sustained representation over several months, while legal clinic slots may involve only a few hours on a single day.
PBOW is designed to accommodate attorneys at all stages of their careers and with varying amounts of available time. The search and alert tools make it easy to find opportunities that genuinely fit your schedule.