Board of Governors supports
National Pro Bono Celebration, October 25 - 31, 2009

Help Protect Domestic Violence Survivors
And Their Children
Free MCLE Credit - October 21
Statewide Pro Bono Training

Interested in Volunteering on Foreclosure Issues?
Pro bono volunteers needed. Go to ForeclosureInfoCA.org for opportunities and training information.

Southern California Wildfires - Volunteer resources for lawyers and the public
Go to Disaster Response for opportunities and additional information.

The Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services (SCDLS) has compiled the following resources for lawyers, law firms, bar associations, legal services providers, judges and law students interested in Pro Bono. Attorneys in any practice setting can make a significant different in the lives of those who would not otherwise have access to the legal system.

Resources for lawyers

• Find a Pro Bono volunteer opportunity
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• How Pro Bono Benefits You!
• Opportunities for New Admittees
• The State Bar's Pro Bono Practice Program - Opportunities for lawyers taking a temporary or permanent leave from the active practice of law
  • Pro Bono Practice Program - FAQs
  • Pro Bono Practice Program - Forms
• Lawyers awarded and recognized by The State Bar of California for their pro bono contributions

Resources for Law Firms

• Sample Law Firm Pro Bono Policies:
  • Donahue Gallagher Woods LLP
  • Farella Braun + Martel LLP
  • Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley LLP

Resources for Local and Specialty Bar Associations

• Renewing our Commitment to Pro Bono: Tools for Local and Specialty Bar Associations The State Bar of California Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services developed this downloadable tool kit that includes:
  • Introduction Letter
  • Letter from Chief Justice
  • State Bar Pro Bono Resolution
  • Pro Bono Benefits Everyone
  • Snapshot of Local Bar Sponsored Pro Bono Models in CA
  • FAQs about Pro Bono
  • Selected Quotations
  • The State Bar’s Commitment to Pro Bono
• Making Pro Bono a Priority: A Bar Leader’s Handbook The American Bar Association Division for Legal Services developed this downloadable guidebook that includes examples of the specific application of models across the country.

Resources for Pro Bono Organizations and Legal Services Providers

• Board Adopted Private Attorney Involvement Resolutions from California Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funded programs:
  • Central California Legal Services, Inc.
  • Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
  • Legal Aid Society of Orange County
  • Legal Aid Society of San Diego
  • Legal Services of Northern California
• Nominate outstanding Pro Bono Volunteers for The State Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards
• Pro Bono Coordinators can submit an application for a Wiley Manuel Certificate on behalf of their volunteers who complete 50 hours of pro bono service annually.

Resources for Judges

• Encouragement of Pro Bono by Judicial Officers provides resources for judicial officers, including speeches from the California Supreme Court Chief Justice, to encourage pro bono in their communities.
• Judicial Council Pro Bono Resolution (see Appendix D)

Resources for Law Students

The Path to Pro Bono: An Interviewing Tool for Law Students The American Bar Association Pro Bono Committee and the Center for Pro Bono developed this brochure to assist law students in assessing a law firm's commitment to pro bono. It also useful for students pursuing careers with small and mid-size firms and corporate in-house legal departments.

Additional Resources

• American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono
• American Bar Association Pro Bono Clearinghouse Library
• Corporate Pro Bono
• ProBono.Net
• Public Interest Clearinghouse
• The Path to Equal Justice: A Five-Year Status Report on Access to Justice in California, Published by the California Commission on Access to Justice (2002)
• Action Plan for Justice: A Report of the California Commission on Access to Justice (2007)
• The Association of Pro Bono Counsel
• The Pro Bono Institute
• Pro Bono Match - Santa Clara County Bar Association
• Pro Bono Resolution - The State Bar of California