Program and ServicesThe Alaska Pro Bono Program, Inc, APBP is a statewide organization that provides free legal services to eligible people. APBP is sponsored by the Alaska Bar Association, funded through an IOLTA grant, and completely operates with volunteer attorneys and other professionals willing to donate their time to represent low-income Alaskans. However, due to recent changes in funding, APBP will only handle matters which the Alaska Legal Services Corporation is restricted from handling. Persons whose needs are handled by ALSC should contact ALSC directly. Whether APBP can assist you depends mostly on: 1) whether you are financially eligible, and (2) the kind of legal problem you have. APBP has established a screening process and an intake system through which knowledgeable staff or volunteers determine eligibility, discover potential conflicts of interest, obtain essential facts, identify legal issues, and maintain client confidentiality and client dignity. This conflict check may take up to four days to determine whether the applicant may be served. If Alaska Legal Services Corporation discovers a conflict, APBP is prohibited from assisting that applicant. If you think that APBP has unfairly denied you legal help, you have a right to appeal directly to the executive director of APBP. You may also request an appeal form. The need for free legal assistance far exceeds APBP's resources. The fact that not everyone who needs legal help will be served is a difficult problem. In order to resolve this problem, guidelines have been established to determine which persons will be served and how they will be served. APBP offers the following services to qualified applicants: |