COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING

Your Safe Place 

A Family Justice Center provides confidential, comprehensive services to anyone who has experienced domestic violence, family violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, or sex trafficking. At Your Safe Place we provide supportive services in a judgment-free manner that empowers clients to become survivors and move forward with their lives. Your Safe Place has a constant need for attorneys to provide pro bono legal services to help clients. Learn more about how you can help »

Law Week Poster and Video Contest Judging

Law Day, established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and held annually on May 1 to celebrate the rule of law. The Law Day Poster & Video Contest opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.

Every year, the SDCBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service sponsors a Law Week Poster and Video Contest for K-12 students focused on the year’s Law Day theme provided by the ABA. The 2023 theme is “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.”

Entries are judged by a volunteer panel of San Diego attorneys and judges, and the winners are recognized at the SDCBA's Annual Awards Ceremony & Celebration of Community Service.

Make sure to join our ceremony in May 18, 2023 to cheer on this year's contest winners and celebrate our annual Service Award winners too!

Learn more about Law Day and the contest here »

Mock Trial Program

The California Mock Trial Program is a statewide academic competition held annually in January and February. Participating high school students compete at the county, state, and national levels. 

The program helps students increase their understanding of both the content and processes of our judicial system; increases basic skills, analytical ability, and self-confidence; and promotes cooperation among students of various cultures and interests.

The trial itself is a simulation of a criminal case, with students portraying the principals in the cast of courtroom characters, participating as lawyers, witnesses, court clerks, and bailiffs. Student teams study a hypothetical case, conduct legal research, and receive guidance from volunteer attorneys in courtroom procedures and trial preparation. 

Volunteer! Enjoy the fulfillment and excitement of supporting the students as either an attorney team coach or attorney scorer at the competition.

To learn more and volunteer, please visit https://sdmocktrial.org

San Diego County Bar Foundation (SDCBF)

The SDCBF is the charitable arm of the legal community, providing access to justice for the underserved by investing in sustainable results and advocacy for people and communities in our region who are impacted by poverty, abuse and discrimination — and providing lawyers the fulfillment of engaging in law-related philanthropy.

The Foundation’s beneficiaries include over 50 legal aid and public interest organizations – helping abused women and children, immigrants seeking political asylum, the working poor who cannot afford legal representation, and others who are in desperate need of legal assistance and have nowhere to turn.

SDCBF grants also support programs that educate children and adults about the legal system and individuals’ rights and responsibilities. Due to the dramatic underfunding of our court system, the Foundation also funds private groups that train lawyers and laypeople to be advocates for the underserved.

To learn more about the SDCBF, get involved, or donate, please visit https://sdcbf.org

Special Event Volunteer Opportunities

The SDCBA facilitates a number of unqiue volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including special events like:

• Beach Clean Ups
• Helen Woodward Clothing Drive
• San Diego Humane Society Walk for Animals

Please check back here for updates or view our volunteer calendar »

Burrito Boyz

(Currently suspended due to COVID-19)   Members of SDCBA sections partner with Burrito Boyz several times a year to make burritos and deliver them to homeless San Diegans. Please check back here for updates or view our volunteer calendar »

Serving Seniors — Gary & Mary Senior Wellness Center Luncheons

As we enter the holiday season, we ask that you consider helping others in need. For over a decade, the Bench-Bar Committee of the SDCBA has partnered with the San Diego Superior Court to serve lunches to senior citizens at the Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center. This year, due to the pandemic, attorneys and judicial officers have not been able to do so. We want to continue to support our senior citizens, as they are among the most vulnerable during this pandemic and are often isolated at home alone. Please consider donating new or unused items on the “Wish List” such as essential care items (cloth masks, blankets, socks, sweaters and undergarments) or social isolation items (activity books, puzzles, pens and colored pencils, decks of cards and art supplies). The full Wish List and how and where to donate items can be found here. You can also order items from Amazon and have them delivered directly to the Senior Wellness Center. If you choose this method, please consider using Amazon Smile and direct items to: Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center, attention: Christina Selder, 1525 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101. For more information, please contact SDCBA Past President Jerrilyn Malana at JerrilynMalana@gmail.com or (619) 734-7343.

(Currently suspended due to COVID-19)   Join the SDCBA Family Law Section once a quarter and volunteer to serve lunch to senior citizens downtown at the Senior Community Centers - Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center at 1525 4th Avenue. Please check back here for updates or view our volunteer calendar »

Operation Stand Down

For our veterans who have lost everything and are living on the streets of San Diego, this program, put on by Veterans Village of San Diego, provides an opportunity for them to “Stand Down” for a weekend and get free access to essential services, connect with the community, and restore their hope.

Joining over 150 different service providers, local attorneys volunteer to provide free legal representation in the Homeless Court Program at Stand Down, helping veterans resolve misdemeanors through "credit for time served" for successfully participating in beneficial shelter activities. This replaces the traditional court sentence options of fines, public work service, and custody.  You can learn more about volunteering at Stand Down here »