Pro Bono Month
By It’s National Celebrate Pro Bono Month! That’s right . . . you heard it here: it’s time to get your pro bono “on” if you haven’t already this year. Should every month be pro bono month? Absolutely! October is particularly great . . . why? Well, the leaves are changing, hot toddies by the campfire are in my future and everything you could ever imagine is pumpkin flavored. Get to the point, you say; I’m super important and don’t have time for your ramblings. OK, here you go!
Rule 6.1 of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct states that “every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay.” Across the state, there is a great need for family law specific pro bono services. As a member of North Carolina Bar Association, you can register to volunteer virtually by signing up for North Carolina Free Legal Answers which is a web-based pro bono program for financially eligible users to post civil legal questions. Attorneys can sort and filter questions with many of the questions being family/divorce/custody related. Questions generally take attorneys 5 minutes or so to respond. It is easy. You can find more information about the program here.
Additionally, I would encourage you to follow the NCBA and the North Carolina Bar Foundation on social media. Follow the NCBF’s Facebook account for pro bono highlights and visit the NCBA Pro Bono Blog for more information. Each year, the North Carolina Supreme Court recognizes attorneys who submit their 50+ hours of pro bono work through induction into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society.
For more information on other pro bono opportunities, click here.