Lawyers in North Carolina looking for ways to provide pro bono legal services can view available cases in a timely manner on Pro Bono Go, an online tool that allows lawyers to search for keywords for pro bono cases and projects that match their interests. The Resource Centre also conducts annual volunteer reports nationwide, through which lawyers can share information on all activities promoted by Rule 6.1. Attorneys who report providing at least fifty hours of pro bono legal services in one year will receive recognition from the North Carolina Supreme Court and will be included in this year`s cohort of the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society. In 2018, lawyers who reported their pro bono information provided more than 50,000 hours of free legal services to North Carolina residents who could not afford legal assistance. As a law student at NCCU, you can help make the promise of “equal justice before the law” written above the doors of the U.S. Supreme Court a reality. Whether you`re considering a career in private practice or in the public service, through a pro bono, you`ll gain valuable experience, hone your legal skills, and help address an important need in the community. The North Carolina Bar Association maintains a database of lawyers who agree not to charge more than $50 for the first 30 minutes of an initial consultation. Please note that this service does NOT make recommendations to pro bono lawyers (free of charge). Call 919-677-8574 in the Raleigh area or toll-free 800-662-7660 and request the lawyer referral service. For more information, see www.ncbar.org/public-pro-bono/lawyer-referral-service.aspx. Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those who cannot afford them.
Access to the justice system is essential to the functioning of a democratic society, but meaningful access to justice for people with limited resources is only possible through pro bono services. The North Carolina State Bar and the American Bar Association encourage attorneys to provide 50 hours of pro bono service per year to people who cannot pay. The Pro Bono Resource Center is the national exchange center that connects lawyers with meaningful pro bono opportunities. Access to justice is crucial for a health care society. In North Carolina, 15% of the population (25% of children) lives in poverty. Need more reasons to volunteer? Click here. The pro bono service plays an important role in our state`s justice system. Every year, lawyers devote tens of thousands of hours to organizations and individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford legal assistance. These contributions, which are worth millions in the private market, provide many North Carolina residents with the only access to our justice system. The purpose of this website is to make it easy for lawyers to find pro bono opportunities that match their interests, skills and schedules. Recognizing the importance of pro bono service, the State Bar encourages its members to volunteer 50 hours each year under its pro bono volunteer public service rule.
Since 2017, lawyers who achieve this goal and report to the Pro Bono Resource Center are included in the annual class of the Pro Bono Honor Society in North Carolina. In addition to volunteer opportunities for lawyers, the Resource Centre also brings together groups of lawyers to support pro bono legal services across the state. For example, the Resource Centre hosts regional pro bono councils in triangular, triad and coastal areas to discuss local challenges and opportunities in the provision of pro bono legal services. Similarly, the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center Advisory Board is a group of eighteen leaders of attorneys from the North Carolina legal community who serve as a focus group to inform the Resource Center`s perspective on the content and process of the pro bono legal department, and to increase pro bono pro bono pro bono pro-service work among attorneys across the state. “Those of us who volunteer are all working to improve access to justice; Why not partner and bring together our diverse talents, expertise and ideas to discuss and solve very difficult systemic problems? That`s what I experienced while working with the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, where the common goal is to develop solutions that reach more people to achieve pro bono relief and positive results. To support lawyers in their volunteer work, the Resource Center works with legal aid organizations and community organizations across the state to develop pro bono projects. It focuses on ways to address unmet legal needs, create clinics, and other service delivery models to provide necessary legal services such as exhibits, driver`s license recovery, and FEMA appeal assistance. More than 475 volunteer lawyers have served more than 3,350 clients through resource centre opportunities since January 2018. The resource centre also provides support to existing pro bono activities through the recruitment and training of volunteers. The Pro Bono Resource Center recognizes outstanding volunteer lawyers, firms, and others for their commitment to providing pro bono legal services to underserved people in North Carolina. Our keystone is the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, which celebrates exceptional pro bono service and the importance of volunteer lawyers.
North Carolina`s Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1 encourages all North Carolina attorneys to provide at least fifty hours of pro bono legal services each year to those who cannot pay without expecting a fee. The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center is here to help a lawyer who wants to fulfill this professional responsibility find the best pro bono opportunity for them and encourage others to do the same. The Pro Bono Resource Center brings together people and opportunities. Through our advisory board, regional councils, and statewide pro bono coordinator meetings, the Pro Bono Resource Center is a national leader in unifying pro bono opportunities, legal service providers, and the private bar to address unmet legal needs across the state. The Pro Bono Program at North Carolina Central University School of Law (NCCU) was created to encourage and support law students` participation in pro bono and to encourage student engagement in pro bono service both during law school and after graduation. .
