Pro Bono Now

A Call for Pro Bono Now

We continue to face an extraordinary need for legal assistance on multiple fronts -- from evictions, to assistance for refugees, to the legal issues arising from disasters. 

The time to volunteer is now. Over the next three months, we urge you to commit to 10 hours of pro bono – or just under a quarter of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct aspirational goal of 50 hours annually per lawyer. Legal assistance at the right time can keep families in their homes, prevent a small business from closing, and offer refuge to those in need.

Whatever your practice area, interest, or availability, a pro bono opportunity awaits you. Take this moment to change a life for the better.

Pro Bono Opportunities

If you aren’t sure where to turn to give your time, we suggest the following opportunities.

• ABA Free Legal Answers is an on-line virtual legal clinic through which income-eligible clients can post civil legal questions to be answered by pro bono attorneys from their jurisdiction. Currently, 40 jurisdictions are fully live. Malpractice insurance coverage is provided for pro bono services provided through the site.
• Evictions threaten the safety of renters and the livelihoods of landlords. A letter to the legal community from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland provides specific steps for lawyers to volunteer, and the ABA issued a call to lawyers to respond. 
• The ABA Commission on Immigration connects volunteers with opportunities to represent family groups who have been placed on the Family Group Dedicated Docket, an expedited immigration court docket that aims to adjudicate claims within 300 days of the first immigration court hearing. The Pro Bono Matters for Families Facing Deportation platform includes nationwide opportunities to help families in the eleven Dedicated Docket cities.
• The ABA Pro Bono Disaster Relief Portal is a centralized, sortable database that lists opportunities to serve those impacted by natural disasters. Disaster-related legal issues include landlord/tenant problems, insurance claims, FEMA claims and consumer issues such as contractor fraud.
• The ABA Afghanistan Response Project  website is a central source of information and opportunities for lawyers to get involved in the  ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan that has spurred a demand for pro bono legal assistance and other forms of support that lawyers can provide. 
  
• The Commission on Immigration is seeking volunteers to help Haitian migrants apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of designated countries confronting a problem that makes it difficult or unsafe for their nationals to be deported there. Volunteer attorneys are paired with a client and interpreter to help the client complete the TPS application. Experienced immigration attorneys will be available to answer questions and review draft applications. Fill out this form to learn more and sign up.
•  Pro Bono Matters for Children Facing Deportation offers pro bono opportunities nationwide to support children facing deportation, allowing lawyers to search and share available pro bono cases for unaccompanied children (UC) detained by the federal government or released to live with family members while in deportation proceedings.
• The Commission on Immigration provides many opportunities to have an impact through pro bono service. 
• The ABA Military Pro Bono Project accepts case referrals from military attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel facing civil legal issues and works to place these cases with pro bono attorneys. The Project is also the platform for Operation Stand-By, through which military attorneys and other pro bono attorneys may seek attorney-to-attorney guidance.
• The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project greatest need is for attorneys who can represent a prisoner in his or her state post-conviction proceedings. The Project occasionally has smaller, discrete matters such as amicus briefs, petitions for certiorari, and research projects that are better suited for one or two attorneys.  
  
•  The National Pro Bono Opportunities Guide will assist you in identifying organizations near you that could use pro bono volunteers in civil legal assistance. 

Help Us Get the Word Out

Help us get the word out through your social media to encourage your colleagues to commit to 10 hours of #ProBonoNow. Check out our social media toolkit for sample posts and more.