Spotlight on pro bono

It has been almost 11 years since the last statewide pro bono conference was held in Illinois. In June 2007, the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice will sponsor an invitation-only Pro Bono Summit for legal services program staff, judges and private attorneys in Springfield.

The event will focus on ways to increase pro bono representation in counties outside of Cook County. Why focus on pro bono representation outside of Cook County?

In the 2005 legal needs study, “The Legal Aid Safety Net: A Report on the Needs of Low-Income Illinoisans,” it was reported that 90 percent of Illinois pro bono cases were handled by attorneys who work in Cook County. However, Cook County accounts for only 70 percent of the attorneys in the state.

There are many reasons for this disparity. They include the difficulties in reaching rural clients and the fewer resources available in rural counties, both in terms of money and people. In varying degrees, these problems exist in middle and smaller urban areas as well.

Unlike many conferences, discussions at the summit will feature active involvement by the participants rather than lectures and panel discussions by experts. These facilitated discussions will focus on lessening the access-to-justice gap from a number of different perspectives involving the use of pro bono attorney volunteers.

Participants will be asked to set aside their stereotypes and to think about new ways in which pro bono legal services might be delivered. They will be asked to examine what new tools and new approaches might be available to deliver services to low income clients outside of a large urban area.

Clearly technology is one option that was not so readily available 10 years ago. Technology can make a real difference in connecting clients in need with attorneys willing to help.

Not only has technology improved substantially, it is also easier to use and more available. Public access computers are available in almost all areas of the state, and individual ownership of computers, even for low-income people, is no longer uncommon.

For some clients who need legal help, technology can lessen or eliminate barriers imposed by geography. But geography is not the only problem.

Another part of the problem is a lack of access to a broad range of pro bono legal help, particularly when the client has a legal problem which involves a specialized area of the law such as immigration.

New technology may make it possible to link these clients in need of legal help with attorneys in other parts of the state who are able to assist them.

To attract more pro bono attorneys, additional volunteer opportunities need to be developed - opportunities that match attorney skills and client needs. Discussions will also focus on looking at pro bono from the volunteer's perspective as well.

Why should attorneys volunteer? What will they receive from the experience? What support can they expect to receive while handling the case?

But pro bono is not always the answer. In some very rural areas, attempts to increase pro bono legal services may be neither cost effective nor likely to succeed. Judicare, or a reduced fee model using local private attorneys, may be a more realistic and cost-effective way to increase access to the justice system for low income people.

Pro bono legal services can make a very real positive difference in the lives of low-income individuals and families that need legal assistance. In some cases, only a lawyer helping a client can provide meaningful access to the legal system to resolve a problem.

By looking at these issues anew, the summit's goal is to provide new options for developing more effective pro bono programs that enhance the experience for both the client and the volunteer attorney.

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