Eight attorney members of the board of directors of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid celebrated pro bono in our recent 4th Circuit observances by joining the Pro Bono Case Placement Team for the first annual Case Placement Rally.
Their participation in this new initiative is reason to celebrate. The goal of the case placement team members was to find pro bono attorneys for at least three cases identified by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership, and Three Rivers Legal Services.
Their efforts were concentrated during Celebrate Pro Bono week and resulted in 25 clients receiving representation in civil legal matters. The successful case placement team included Bryan Gowdy, Steve Fahlgren, Tom Edwards, Ramona Chaplin, Sherri Worman, Cynthia Hunold, Rhonda Peoples-Waters and Greg Prysock.
The case placement team members received redacted summaries of the cases they agreed to place. They identified colleagues who they thought would be willing to consider accepting a pro bono matter.
These colleagues received the case summaries along with information on the many supports available to pro bono attorneys serving legal services clients. Cases covered a broad range of practice areas including landlord-tenant, family law, probate, foreclosure, Social Security, guardianship and bankruptcy.
Support for pro bono attorneys includes free CLE webinars, professional liability coverage, client meeting space, reimbursement for case costs, and expert resource attorneys.
The board and staff of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid decided to have a case placement rally to:
• Highlight the importance of accepting at least one pro bono case as part of every attorney's law practice — One Client. One Attorney. One Promise.
• Ensure that 25 more low-income people would get the legal assistance they need.
• Increase awareness of the many support resources that are available to pro bono attorneys.
• Remind the legal community that the capacity of legal services staff is increased more than 15 percent by pro bono representation and participation in pro bono projects.
Pro bono representation can be part of every attorney's practice. The message is simple: Take one matter for one client at a time.
It matters.
It matters to the client and it strengthens our system of justice which is founded on equal justice for all.
Attorneys interested in information on pro bono opportunities throughout the 4th Circuit are encouraged to contact Kathy Para, chair of The JBA Pro Bono Committee, [email protected].