Bridging the Justice Gap: A Lawyer’s Obligation to Serve

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) defines the justice gap as the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs. This program will explore how lawyers can help bridge the justice gap by providing pro bono and limited bono legal services. The cost of hiring a lawyer is a barrier for many low-income individuals to retain legal representation for their civil legal problems, with over 90% of Americans citing the inability to secure any or enough legal help for their civil legal issues and almost one-half of Americans who need civil legal assistance do not seek help because they cannot afford a lawyer. Rule 6.1 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct states, “A lawyer should aspire to render at least (50) hours of pro bono publico legal services per year.”

Attorneys will learn how to help bridge the justice gap by meeting the aspirational goal to provide fifty (50) hours of pro bono legal services to persons of limited means. The course will explore how attorneys can support charitable, community groups, and governmental agencies in educating the public about their civil legal rights. For those attorneys who have yet to provide pro bono legal services in the past, this course will explore resources available to you through non-profit law firms to offer these services alongside their staff attorneys. Attorneys will also be provided with ideas for delivering low bono legal services to persons of limited means on a sliding scale basis. The course will also explore AI tools available for pro bono attorneys to help deliver civil legal services for low-income Americans who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Seasoned pro bono attorneys will learn about innovative ways to leverage technology to serve more Americans needing civil legal assistance. Attorneys who have not provided pro bono legal services since the pandemic should attend to learn how the provisions of civil legal aid have changed over the past five (5) years. This course will also provide an opportunity for young lawyers and lawyers who have never done pro bono work to learn why it is critical to bridge the justice gap.

Attorneys with any experience should attend this program as they have an ethical duty to provide pro bono legal services to persons of limited means.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the importance of providing pro bono civil legal services to bridge the justice gap in the United States
• Serve low-income Americans with their civil legal needs through pro bono service for non-profit law firms, charitable organizations, community groups, and governmental agencies
• Discover innovative ways that AI allows more individuals to provide pro bono legal services from the comfort of their homes or offices

Production Date: 12/17/2024 | Closed captioning (CC) available