With each passing month, let alone year, the need for pro bono legal services continues to grow. Many of you have responded to this need by volunteering for clinics and various community outreach events, as well as accepting individual cases for representation.
To put this into perspective, let’s look at pro bono by the numbers. Using an average attorney rate of $300 per hour, the value of in-kind legal services provided by private attorneys through Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in 2023 was $1,407,555.
However, in the first three quarters of this year alone, the value of in-kind legal services provided by private attorneys through JALA is $1,301,970.00.
With two months left in 2024, we will certainly exceed the 2023 figures thanks to your continued commitment to pro bono.
When broken down to the number of hours expended on pro bono efforts through JALA, attorneys performed 4,340 hours in pro bono services in the first nine months of 2024. These values include pro bono attorney time on individual cases and non-case related activities such as Ask-A-Lawyer, group informational clinics, teaching webinars and serving as expert resources for other pro bono attorneys.
Already in 2024, 400 individual cases have been opened and placed with pro bono attorneys, a phenomenal 100% increase compared with the previous year.
Based on the number of people in client households, the 400 placed cases impacted more than 800 people. Your commitment to pro bono has a life-changing impact not only on the clients but also on members of their families.
We would not be able to accomplish this great work this year without the support of about 240 actively engaged pro bono attorneys and about 50 non-attorney volunteers (students, paralegals and interns).
Although these numbers are impressive, they don’t adequately capture the impact of the work. The real impact is captured in each client’s story, whether it is the person facing an eviction or the tenant with habitability issues, or the grandmother seeking custody of her grandchildren so she can enroll them in school and insurance, or the veteran seeking assistance with their divorce, or even the elderly client who needed a last will and testament and advanced directives.
If not for pro bono advocates, these clients would likely not be able to afford legal counsel, which could have a devastating impact on their lives and those of their families for generations.
There are many opportunities for you to be involved with pro bono and yes, you do have the time.
The time commitment for many of our current cases awaiting placement is minimal. For example, we have several requests for simple wills and advance directives. These cases would likely take you less than five hours.
More importantly, your pro bono time would positively impact generations.
There are many non-case related opportunities such as Ask-A-Lawyer and group informational clinics. Even if you are only available to assist once a year at one of these clinics, your 2-hour commitment provides an invaluable service to those in need.
I hope this article inspires you to continue your pro bono efforts or inspires you to get involved. JALA makes it easy for you to get involved.
We have a pro bono website where you can view cases and sign up for clinics and other outreach events. Visit jaxlegalaid.org/pro-bono to learn more.