Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service

    Our mission is to ensure access to justice through the expansion and enhancement of the delivery of legal and other law-related services to the underserved through volunteer efforts of legal professionals nationwide. 

    About Us

    Along with its policy initiatives, we actively engage in outreach to the judiciary, government attorney offices, law schools, minority bar associations, small and mid-size law firms, and in-house corporate legal departments. We are also the primary sponsor of the annual Pro Bono Publico Awards. We co-sponsor the annual Equal Justice Conference with the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. The Conference brings together all components of the legal community for plenary sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and special programming.

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    2021 Pro Bono Publico Award Nominations Open

    Deadline extended to March 3, 2021! Nominate the pro bono hero or heroes from your community. The Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service welcomes nominees from every race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, ability, family status and socioeconomic status in our effort to recognize the accomplishments of richly varied perspectives. The Committee also encourages the nominations of attorneys who are newer to the practice of law to publicize their accomplishments and to inspire others to commit to pro bono participation.

    Nominations Are Due March 3, 2021

    View the Criteria

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    2021 Virtual Equal Justice Conference

    The 2021 Equal Justice Conference will take place online the week of May 3 - 7, 2021. We hope you will join this unique gathering gathering of access to justice advocates from all corners of the country and from all areas of the legal and other professions.

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    Support Our Projects

    Your donation supports our efforts to increase the delivery of pro bono legal services to persons who cannot otherwise afford an attorney.

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    ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference

    The Equal Justice Conference is co-sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and National Legal Aid & Defender Association. The Equal Justice Conference joins all components of the civil legal aid community to discuss and address issues related to the delivery of legal services to low-income individuals in need of legal assistance.

    Learn about the - Equal Justice Conference

    Pro Bono Publico Award

    Each year the Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service presents five awards to individual lawyers and institutions in the legal profession that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for the poor and disadvantaged.

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    2020 Recipients

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    Celebrate Pro Bono

    Although national in breadth, this initiative provides an opportunity for legal organizations across the country to collaboratively commemorate the vitally important contributions of America's lawyers and to recruit and train the many additional volunteers required to meet the growing demand. With the enthusiastic involvement of national, statewide and local partners, from all components of the legal profession, the National Pro Bono Celebration is creating a wave of positive energy about the pro bono movement in this country.

    Visit - the Celebrate Pro Bono website

    Practice Forward Amid COVID-19

    Move your practice and the legal profession forward during the pandemic and beyond with continually updated tools and resources

    Explore - Practice Forward

    ABA FLA ProSocial Valuation

    The ProSocial Valuation Service valued the social capital created by ABA Free Legal Answers, a virtual legal advice clinic engaging volunteer attorneys, at $7,300,000 in 2018.

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    Become an ABA Member

    For public interest lawyers serving the common good, the American Bar Association is your home for building a public interest legal practice and championing the issues important to you.

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    Volunteer for ABA Free Legal Answers in Your State

    ABA Free Legal Answers is an online version of the walk-in clinic model where clients request brief advice and counsel about a specific civil legal issue from a volunteer lawyer. Lawyers provide information and basic legal advice without any expectation of long-term representation. The purpose of the website is to increase access to advice and information about non-criminal legal matters to those who cannot afford it.

    Volunteer - Now

    More Pro Bono Resources

    Donate to Support ABA FLA

    Support Pro Bono Services

    Your donation will enable low-income citizens to post and get answers to their legal questions from pro bono volunteer lawyers who are licensed in their state.

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    Other Resources of Interest

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    Related Topics

    Pro Bono

    Access to Justice

    Alternative Dispute Resolution

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