Celebrate Pro Bono Week

This week, October 24 through 30, 2010, the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service celebrates the efforts of pro bono legal services.  The public good benefits from the service outreach of lawyers in the United States.

ABA ethical rules recommend at least fifty hours of pro bono service per year.  The Illinois Pro Bono Reporting Rule, codified, Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756(f) requires Illinois attorneys to answer to the ARDC’s questions about pro bono work and relative financial contributions on the annual registration statement.

Locally, the Chicago Bar Association and Chicago Bar Foundation celebrate their 6^th year sponsoring Pro Bono Week.  Daniel M. Kotin and Jody Adler of the CBA offer a short video discussing pro bono opportunities in the city.  Both the ABA and the CBA offer websites with pro bono opportunities.

Sara Elizabeth Dill, a criminal defense and immigration attorney in Chicago and Miami, serves as an ABA Commissioner on Immigration and Co-Chair of the ABA’s Criminal Justice-Immigration Committee and regularly accepts pro bono cases representing trafficking victims and political refugees.

“Pro bono work is a vital part of the profession, and is more than just donating money or volunteering at a clinic 2-3 times per year.  While those actions are valuable, lawyers have a responsibility to actually take individual cases and donate their time and experience to help individuals navigate the increasingly complex legal system.  Pro bono service also benefits the lawyer, in gaining trial or other experience, and the rewards in helping someone who has nowhere left to turn.  The ABA has a number of ways for lawyers to get involved and volunteer to take cases, and I would urge every lawyer to accept at least one pro bono case per year.”

Nick Augustine, Strategy Consultant and Publicist at ALR/PRA, Inc., is pleased to announce the agency’s volunteering on DLA Piper’s pro bono project.  Here is a press release regarding the Woodlawn Community project.  Greentarget strategic communications is the public relations and communications firm working on this project.

Finally, ALR/PRA’s Young Jurist Project offers the opportunity for 3L’s and recent law graduates to work on pro bono cases involving such matters as clemency applications for wrongly convicted and/or rehabilitated individuals who were convicted of crimes.  Civil law opportunities exist for young jurists as well.

For more information about pro bono and learning opportunities please seek out the assistance of your local bar association or any of the groups listed in this article.  Service to the community begins locally and there are so many opportunities available if you look close to home.