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Pro Bono News
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Unlike several legal service programs that have surfaced to assist veterans, the Military Pro Bono Project is uniquely focused on provision of pro bono services to active-duty service members, many of whom remain deployed to areas of conflict. The Project will directly help service members by moving cleared pro bono referrals straight from military law offices to willing-and-able private sector lawyer volunteers throughout the country. Needs are arising in the areas of consumer law, family law, landlord-tenant, employment law, and other areas. Their families often unfortunately require assistance in the area of probate, trusts and estates, or guardianship law. The Military Pro Bono Project is a joint venture of the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) and the ABA Section of Litigation, with assistance from the ABA Center for Pro Bono. Read the news release, read the FAQ or go on to the Project Website. |
LexisNexis is pleased to provide qualified legal services organizations with donations of HotDocs software. The HotDocs Software Donation Program allows qualified organizations to request HotDocs software for each computer in the organization's offices.
Legal services organizations funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and organizations that receive funds through their state Interest on Legal Trust Accounts (IOLTA) programs are eligible to participate in the HotDocs Software Donation Program. LSC Announcement of this program. Apply for HotDocs Software Donation
The ABA Section of Taxation is pleased to announce our new Public Service Fellowship award program, developed to address the need for tax legal service assistance around the country, and to foster an interest in tax-related public service for those lawyers who participate.
The Public Service Fellowships are open to recent J.D. and LL.M. graduates and judicial clerks who commit to working in tax-related public interest, non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations for two years. Applicants must select and arrange employment with those organizations prior to applying for the Fellowship, and must confirm that their work will involve taxation or the administration of tax law. Up to two Fellowships will be awarded each year, and the Section will fund the salary, benefits and law school debt service (when applicable) for each awardee. The Section is now accepting applications for the 2009 Fellowships, with a deadline of October 15, 2008.
The Tax Section has always encouraged our members to participate in pro bono work, and we believe that those who do so contribute to a more accessible and equitable tax system. The Fellowship program is one more way that the Section can provide a meaningful way for our members to give back to their communities. Please feel free to pass information about the Fellowships along to those who may have an interest in applying. Detailed information, and a downloadable application, is available here. http://www.abanet.org/tax/awards/publicservice/
Beginning in 2008, small tax-exempt groups (defined by the IRS as those with $25,000 or less in annual gross receipts) must complete a new electronic Form 990-N, called an e-Postcard, within 30 days of the close their tax year. Previously, such groups did not have to complete a filing. Please see the Philanthropy Journal article on this topic or the IRS website for additional information.
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Training and Workshops
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New Publications and Reports
See the press release. An updated version of this 2003 publication will be available within the next few days. Direct link to 2003 PDF version (1.1 mb)
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Awards and Applause
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service recognized three lawyers, one law firm and one law school with its 2008 Pro Bono Publico Awards on Monday, Aug.11, at its Awards Assembly Luncheon in New York City, during the ABA Annual Meeting.
ABA President William H. Neukom presented the 2008 awards. "This year's recipients of the Pro Bono Publico Awards symbolize the best of our profession," said Neukom. "Through their efforts on behalf of others, they represent the tens of thousands of lawyers in this country who deliver on the promise of equal justice for all."
The annual awards honor individuals or organizations in the legal community that deliver volunteer legal services to the poor or disadvantaged.
The 2008 honorees are:
- Craig Cannon of Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice in Winston-Salem, N.C., who provided approximately 700 hours of pro bono service in 2007 as the National Coordinator of the ABA's Disaster Legal Services Program, jointly managed by the ABA and FEMA, and his participation with the North Carolina Bar Association's 4 All Task Force - Awards Video: Windows Media Player clip, 3:32 minutes 11 Mb;
- Fordham University School of Law, Public Interest Resource Center, in New York City, where nearly 500 Fordham Law School students participated in some form of pro bono or public service through the center. The class of 2007 contributed more than 100,000 hours to such programs as the Domestic Violence Awareness Center and the Death Penalty Defense Project - Awards Video Windows Media Player clip, 3:49 minutes 12 Mb;
- David A. Kutik of Jones Day in Cleveland, who has worked actively with pro bono programs throughout his 28-year law career, delivering legal services to those in need. He established an initiative during his term as president of the Cleveland Bar Association to encourage pro bono service by that city's lawyers, and he currently participates in Saturday morning referral clinics operated by the Legal Aid Society in Cleveland - Awards Video Windows Media Player clip, 3:41 minutes 11 Mb;
- DLA Piper operates one of the most robust pro bono programs among law firms in the United States, with more than 95 percent of the firm's lawyers working 20 hours or more on pro bono projects last year, and with its lawyers working an average of 89 hours each on pro bono projects in 2006 - Awards Video Windows Media Player clip, 3:36 minutes 11 Mb.
- Sarah M. Singleton, has a long-term commitment to access to justice in New Mexico. She is a past-president of the state bar association and former co-chair of its Legal Services and Program committee. She currently is co-chair of New Mexico's Commission on Access to Justice and is also a member of the Board of the Legal Services Corporation - Awards Video Windows Media Player clip, 3:29 minutes 11 Mb.
More information on the Pro Bono Publico Awards and the 2008 recipients is available at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/pbp_current_recipients.html.
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Funding Opportunities
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