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Certified Community Legal Advocates
Innovation for Justice (i4J), the Arizona Supreme Court, and Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts have partnered to train, certify, and empower non-lawyer legal advocates to provide limited-scope legal advice in two practice areas, Housing Stability and Domestic Violence.
Recommended by the 2019 Task Force on the Delivery of Legal Services and authorized under the Arizona Code of Judicial Administration Section 7-211, Certified Community Legal Advocates (CCLA) are permitted to provide legal assistance pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 31. Clients who receive services are not charged for those services.
i4J trains CCLAs and provides educational support through a network of volunteer attorney mentors and continuing education opportunities. CCLAs and their host Approved Organizations determine when a client has legal needs outside their authorized scope of practice that would require referral to a licensed attorney. CCLAs are required to adhere to a Code of Conduct that mirrors that of licensed attorneys in Arizona.
VIEW 2025 REPORT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ACJA 7-211
VIEW CERTIFIED COMMUNITY LEGAL ADVOCATES DIRECTORY
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Housing Stability
Certified Community Legal Advocates for Housing Stability volunteer with or are employed by community-based organizations and may provide limited-scope legal advice about housing-related civil legal problems to community members experiencing housing instability. These advocates may
- Provide limited-scope legal advice on commonly experienced housing issues and potential defenses;
- Provide limited-scope legal advice regarding the eviction process and while a tenant is completing eviction-related legal forms;
- Attend court with a tenant, with a seat at the tenants’ table to quietly advise and answer direct questions asked by the court; and
- Provide limited-scope legal advice to tenants with common post-eviction legal issues.
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Domestic Violence
Certified Community Legal Advocates for Domestic Violence survivors volunteer with or are employed by community-based organizations and may provide trauma-informed, limited-scope legal advice to domestic violence survivors. These advocates may
- Provide limited-scope legal advice on urgent legal issues present during the initial intake;
- Provide limited-scope legal advice while a survivor is completing legal forms;
- Provide limited-scope legal advice while a survivor is preparing for a mediation or hearing; and
- Attend court with a survivor, with a seat at the survivor’s table to quietly advise the survivor and answer direct questions asked by the court.
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Program Eligibility
In Arizona, individuals who meet the following requirements are eligible to be trained as Certified Community Legal Advocates, specific to Housing Stability or Domestic Violence issues:
- Be a citizen or legal resident of the United States;
- Be at least eighteen years of age;
- Be of good moral character;
- Have obtained a minimum of a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED);
- Be employed by or provide volunteer service with an approved organization appearing on the Administrative Office of the Court’s list of Approved Organizations;
- Have successfully completed the DVLA or HSLA course of study through Innovation for Justice; and
- Obtain a passing grade on the subject matter-specific substantive law and court forms examination administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Individuals interested in the Domestic Violence Legal Advocate certification must also demonstrate at least 2,000 hours of work experience as a lay legal advocate at a non-profit social service organization or other approved organization.
Certification and Examination Process
Certification is regulated by the Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).
Once an approved community based or advocate training organizaiton submits a nomination form to the AOC authorizing certifiation, the advocate-to-be must pass a 90-minute, 50-question multiple choice substantive law exam. This exam assesses an applicant’s understanding of substantive law and the court forms associated with their respective limited-scope practice area. The substantive law exams are only available to those who have enrolled in and successfully completed the Innovation for Justice training modules offered through the University of Arizona and are nominated by their approved organization or the i4J Program Director.
HSLA / DVLA substantive law exams are offered Wednesdays in 2026 at 9:00AM unless otherwise noted. Exams take place in-person at the Arizona Courts Building, 1501 W Washington Street, Phoenix, 85007. A secure, virtually proctored (online) exam is also available but must be completed within 10 days of registering. Contact [email protected] for more information and to register once nominated by Innovation for Justice.
2026 In-Person Exam Dates
June 17, 2026
July 22, 2026
August 19, 2026
September 23, 2026
October 21, 2026
November 4, 2026
December 9, 2026
Exam Resource Study Guides
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CCLA Exam Statistics as of August 25, 2025
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Housing Stability
Legal Advocate
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Domestic Violence
Legal Advocate
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| Total Passed |
29 |
9 |
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Passing Rate by Applicant
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92% |
90% |
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Average Passing Score
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79.89 |
85.58 |
Becoming an Approved Organization
To train and become a Certified Community Legal Advocate (CCLA), eligible applicants must demonstrate that they are employed by or provide volunteer services with an organization approved by the Arizona Administrative Office of the Court (AOC). For this purpose, an Approved Organization is a public or private not-for-profit resource hub that provides services to low-income individuals experiencing housing instability or a domestic violence situation.
To qualify as an approved organization, complete and submit an application form to the Certification and Licensing Division. Submission of a completed application acknowledges the organization's understanding of and willingness to comply with ACJA Section 7-211 but organizations are not approved to provide legal services until notified in writing by the AOC. An organization's characteristics, which may include social media, will be reviewed as part of the Division's objective to protect the public while ensuring the Court's vision of justice for all.
VIEW APPROVED COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Contact Us
For a list of certified Legal Advocates and their Approved Organizations, please refer to the directory. The Division cannot prepare documents or provide legal services. For general inquiries regarding the Community Justice Worker program, please contact the Certification and Licensing Division at:
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[email protected] |
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(602) 452-3278 |
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TTY/TTD: (602) 452-3545 |
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Arizona Supreme Court
Administrative Office of the Courts
1501 W. Washington St., Suite 104,
Phoenix, AZ 85007-3222 |
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