Rule 4-6.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct of The Florida Bar states that each member of The Florida Bar in good standing, as part of that member’s professional responsibility, should render pro bono legal services to the poor and participate, to the extent possible, in other pro bono service activities that directly relate to the legal needs of the poor.
The professional responsibility to provide pro bono legal service to the poor may be discharged by annually providing at least 20 hours of pro bono legal service to the poor or making an annual contribution of at least $350 to a legal aid organization.
Twenty hours of pro bono service can be achieved in a variety of ways, including:
• Participating in a telephonic conference weekly for four months.
• Helping 10 clients prepare pro se divorce forms.
• Attending a monthly clinic:
• Ask-A-Lawyer Clinics at NAACP Jacksonville, 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 17, Sept. 21 or Oct. 19.
• Ask-A-Lawyer Clinic at Sulzbacher, 6-7 p.m. Aug. 8.
• Providing full representation in a probate, bankruptcy or family law case. Available cases include assisting people with applications for expungement, explaining arbitration documents (from a probate) to a client and preparing advance directives and/or wills.
There are benefits to completing your service with a legal aid organization.
We screen clients for eligibility and legal issues. If the client tries to have you do anything beyond the scope of the referral, you can just refer them back to us.
We gather documents and information to get you started and can assist you through the process. Three Rivers can partner you with a law student who can help with research, drafting documents and conducting client interviews.
We provide support by answering questions, reviewing documents, sharing resources and training materials and mentorship by our experienced attorneys.
We also provide volunteers with legal malpractice insurance coverage at no charge to you.
Finally, we track your hours, recognize you in publications and can nominate you for local, state and national pro bono awards.
If you would like to dip your toe into pro bono, contact Three Rivers Legal Services at [email protected] or 904-394-7450, or reach out to Krizia Gonzalez-Colon, the pro bono coordinator in Jacksonville with any questions.
You can browse available opportunities at https://app.joinpaladin.com/!/funding-florida-legal-aid/