by Kathy Para
JBA Pro Bono Committee Chair
For low-income and vulnerable clients, advance planning is vital to protecting limited personal resources. That’s why Jacksonville Area Legal Aid wants to give the pro bono attorneys interested in working on these cases the tools needed to hit the ground running.
Presenters Robert Morgan, Rebeccah L. Beller and Rebecca Berg, practicing attorneys in the areas of probate and estate planning, have developed a four-part “Elder Law and Advance Planning” webinar series for attorneys willing to assist a pro bono client.
The lunchtime webinars have been scheduled once a month, January through April. The trainings are free and each webinar is Florida Bar accredited. Participants receive document templates and statutory references.
The goal of each training webinar is to provide the pro bono attorney with practical guidance to enable the attorney to accept a pro bono matter immediately.
Participants in the webinars use their own computers to view the training while interacting with the instructor during the live presentation.
Interested attorneys who are not able to participate in the live webinar may access the presentation later simply by requesting the materials.
Participants receive 2.5 CLE hours for each seminar whether it is viewed at the time of broadcast or later.
Pro bono attorneys are asked to accept a JALA pro bono case in that particular substantive area within a year of participating in the webinar or requesting the materials.
JALA’s commitment to giving pro bono attorneys the tools needed to succeed also means providing expert attorneys as resources. New pro bono attorneys may request being paired with an “expert resource” attorney for guidance during the resolution of the case.
JALA also provides professional liability insurance for pro bono attorneys when representing JALA clients.
If you’re interested in taking on an Elder Law and Advance Planning pro bono case, consider these webinar trainings. Interested pro bono attorneys who want to view past webinars may request the web address, password and materials by contacting Kathy Para at [email protected]
These topics have already been presented and the webinar and all materials are available upon request: Wills and Advance Directives, Basic Probate, and Introduction to Guardianship.
The fourth topic to be presented is Special Needs Trusts and will be presented 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 15.
Participants will view the webinar from their personal computers.
Interested attorneys should reserve their spots for the Special Needs Trusts webinar by registering at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/174508304.
In these economic times, pro bono attorneys are critically needed to assist low-income and underserved clients. Training and support of pro bono attorneys is available when serving clients of Guardian ad Litem, the Office of Public Defender and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
For more information on pro bono opportunities throughout the Fourth Judicial Circuit, contact Kathy Para, chair of the Pro Bono Committee of The JBA at [email protected], 356-8371, ext. 363.