|
|
|
EVENTS AND PROGRAMS |
ARCHIVES |
|||||
|
EXECUTIVE COACHING |
|
|
PRO BONO MODEL PROGRAMS Corporations & Law Firms A. Commitment Law firms and corporations demonstrate their commitment to providing legal services to underserved communities by the managing partner or the general counsel serving as a role model and champion of access to legal services. General Counsel's and managing partners actively provide leadership and direction to promote free and/or reduced fee legal services to underserved communities by creating and implementing a company-wide action plan, with measurable goals, communicated to the whole company and monitored and updated annually. Law firm or corporation appoints an internal legal service coordinator to facilitate the involvement of lawyers in the firm or corporation in public interest service. The corporation or law firm provides training, as necessary, to their lawyers to develop and maintain the skills needed to competently and effectively practice public interest law. Lawyers in the firm or corporation are provided an atmosphere and environment conducive to volunteering in public interest legal services. The corporation or law firm widely publicizes within the organization outside legal service projects and encourages lawyers to participate in these projects. Lawyers are encouraged to volunteer for the outside legal service projects by the firm or corporation offering incentives such as flextime.
The substantive legal work and client relationship in pro bono services and reduced and deferred legal services in underserved communities are included in performance reviews. The firm or corporation requires that all pro bono and other legal services matters be handled competently and professionally. Hours spent on approved legal service projects for underserved communities are included in reportable billable hours for purposes of performance reviews, compensation and advancement.
The law firm or corporation conducts community outreach through legal education projects to educate members of the public on issues such as identifying legal problems, understanding their legal rights and responsibilities and learning where and how lawyers can assist in the resolution of legal problems. Such projects may be aimed at the public in general, schools, senior centers, non-profit organizations, and small/micro businesses. The corporation or law firm forms a relationship with one or more local non-profit organizations (such as a homeless shelter, church, girls and boys clubs, senior citizen centers, low income housing projects, and community redevelopment) and provides legal services that such organizations could not otherwise afford. For example, the lawyers in the firm or corporation could advise and assist public interest clients in organizing a corporation, securing tax exempt status, negotiating leases or other contracts, representing the organization in their dealings with local, state and federal government agencies or advising on other legal issues.
The law firm or corporation forms a relationship with a local legal services program where lawyers from the firm or corporation provide substantive legal work and the program provides the administrative work. Form an alliance with a law firm or corporation that has an established pro bono/legal services record and "piggy back" on the firm or corporation's initiative by having your lawyers work with the lawyers of the established firm or corporation on pro bono projects. Establish, maintain and control a corporate in-house lawyer pro bono/access to legal resources program where the corporation selects the type of projects and handles administration, intake, screening, assignment, follow-up, training and oversight. Through this type of program, the corporate lawyers form alliances with other corporate legal departments, law firms, sole practitioners to increase participation and effectiveness. This practice could work just as well between two law firms with a similar division of labor.
|
Back
to Homepage