PLEASE NOTE: Publication for public comment is not, and shall not, be construed as a recommendation or approval by the Board of Trustees of the materials published.
Pro Bono Practice Program Rule 3.327 -- Proposed Revision to Reduce the Number of Years Required for Participation
The Board of Trustees established the Pro Bono Practice Program (formerly called the Emeritus Attorney Pro Bono Participation Program) in June 1987 to encourage attorneys who otherwise would be retired from the active practice of law to do pro bono work. [Title 3, Division 2, Chapter 6 of the State Bar Rules.] In 2008, the Board approved reducing the number of years required for participation from 10 to 5 years, and to change the name to the Pro Bono Practice Program to reflect that more mid-career attorneys were participating in the program. This public comment notice seeks input on a proposal that would reduce the number of years of experience required, from 5 years to 3 years, in order to allow more young lawyers to participate in the program, and requests that the Member Oversight Committee grant permission to release the proposal for a 30-day public comment period, from May 14, 2012 through June 13, 2012.
The Board of Trustees adopted the Emeritus Attorney Pro Bono Participation Program (“EA Program”) Rules in June 1987. The rules originally were created to encourage retired attorneys who otherwise would become inactive to represent low-income individuals on a pro bono basis. The retired attorney would become active for the purpose of doing pro bono work with a qualified legal services provider or certified lawyer referral service and the State Bar would waive the active membership fee. In the nearly twenty-five years since the EA Program was established, there have been four amendments with respect to eligibility:
Under the existing Program Rules that require admission to the practice of law for five years and active practice for three out of the last five, attorneys who have been admitted less than five years are ineligible to participate in the program. The proposed reduction in years of admission required for participation in the program could potentially increase the number of pro bono participants by opening the pro bono program to younger attorneys.
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RULES OF THE STATE BAR. Title 3, Division 2, Chapter 6 — As Proposed to Be Amended
State Bar Standing Committee on Member Oversight
5 p.m., June 13, 2012
Lauren Calton Office of Legal Services State Bar of California 180 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105-1639 Ph. (415) 538-2534 Fax (415) 538-2524 E-mail: lauren.calton@calbar.ca.gov