About SLP

For over 45 years, AVLF’s Saturday Lawyer Program has helped low-income Atlantans facing legal problems find free legal representation.  Our clients are tenants having problems with their landlords.

Before a potential client receives a Saturday Lawyer Day appointment, AVLF conducts an intake with them to determine if they are eligible for our help.  People only receive a Saturday Lawyer Day appointment if (1) they live in Fulton or Clayton County; (2) their household earns under 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level; and (3) it appears that their landlord may have broken the law.

Potential clients are then placed in one of two tracks: (1) in-person Workshop or (2) virtual appointment. The in-person Workshop is a self-representation clinic where volunteers assist clients by drafting documents and preparing them for the next step in their case. The Workshop is designed for clients who can represent themselves and have relatively straightforward legal issues. The virtual appointments are the traditional Saturday Lawyer model and are reserved for clients who have significant legal issues and will need attorney representation to resolve them.

During the in-person Saturday Lawyer Workshop, attorneys, law students, and paralegals/legal assistants draft documents for the client and advise them on the next steps in their case, whether that is sending a demand letter or filing a lawsuit. There is no expectation of further representation after the Workshop.

During the virtual Saturday Lawyer appointments, attorneys, law students, and paralegals/legal assistants review client documents in advance of conducting an in-depth interview with the client to learn more about their landlord-tenant issue. The volunteers then can begin work on next steps, including drafting a demand letter or creating a list of points for negotiation with the other side. Volunteer attorneys are asked to accept the case for representation, barring any conflicts.