Barnard Lawyers' Committee, proposed procedure for handling cases, 1971, page 1

          The Women's Center

Barnard College

606 West 120th Street
New York 10027

Catharine R. Stimpson
Acting Director

BARNARD LAWYERS‘ COMMITTEE
PROPOSED PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING CASES

1 - A card file should be kept on each attorney who volunteers to take
The following information should appear on each card:

Name

Address

Phone - office and home

particular area of expertise or interest
number of cases which can be carried at any one time

notes on cases being handled, disposition thereof, comments

Executive Committee

Annette K. Baxter
Eleanor T. Elliott

Jane S. Gould

Patricia Albjerg Graham
Barbara V. Hertz
Catharine R. Stimpson
Martha Peterson, ex officio


Records should be kept on the number of times a volunteer attorney refuses
to take a case (lack of time, interest) and adjustments made accordingly.

2 - Intake

a) Personnel

Intake people, whether they be lawyers, law students, or otherwise, must be
able to commit themselves to a schedule of time each week so that people who
expect to have their calls taken, e.g., on Monday afternoon from 3-6, indeed

find someone answering the phone at that time.

b) Procedure
The intake person should get all
should mimeograph forms for this (see sample attached).

information from caller concerning case.
If the caller needs only information which can be given by the person taking the call, that should be
done and a record kept on the intake form.
the direct involvement of an attorney, the intake person should handle
refer it to a non-attorney volunteer who can handle it.
recorded. If an attorney is absolutely required to handle a case, the

If the case can be handled without

it or

All actions must be

intake

person should get all information from the client and tell the client that

she will arrange to contact an attorney.

She should then consult the card

index of attorneys and find one who has expressed an interest in an area as
close as possible to the area of the case at hand and one who has not already

filled the number of cases she has agreed to handle at one time.

If there are

no lawyers left who fill both criteria, try to get one to take an extra case.
The attorney will then handle the case directly from there and report back the

final disposition of the case.
office.

Briefs and opinions should also be filed in our