“Dynamic Strategies for Managing Pro Bono Legal Aid Attorneys,” MIE Journal
Director of Pro Bono Services, Andrea Ortiz, authored an article for the MIE Journal that highlights the vital contributions of pro bono attorneys at organizations like Community Legal Services (CLS). The piece outlines typical obstacles that hinder lawyers from volunteering, including perceived long-term commitments, a lack of familiarity with certain legal fields, and concerns about insufficient support or the risk of malpractice exposure.
“Lawyers often believe that taking a pro bono case is a laborious, open-ended commitment with little professional benefit,” explains Ortiz. “Additionally, many attorneys avoid pro bono volunteering due to unfamiliarity with the area of law in question. Finally, counsel often fear they will be left to represent pro bono clients without support or that taking these cases might result in malpractice exposure.”
Ortiz concluded by sharing CLS’s innovative strategies to overcome challenges, including comprehensive support, unbundled service options, diverse clinic opportunities, a mobile legal advice helpline, and incentives such as malpractice coverage and continuing legal education (CLE) credits.
To view the full article, subscribers may click here.