Pro Bono Opportunities Update

By Leann Walsh, Michael Elliot, and Jennifer Bills

Help Create How-To Guides for Young Lawyers

Happy New Year from the Pro Bono Committee of the NCBA Labor & Employment Law Section! Are you looking for a great way to engage with the section and volunteer a small piece of time? We have a great opportunity for you to gain some discrete pro bono hours and pass along some of your hard-earned wisdom to a young lawyer in need.

We are creating brief how-to guides for employment lawyers new to the field. We will be handling a diverse set of topics from hiring to firing and (most) everything in between. Work on your own, or team up with a friend or two and divide and conquer. Some topics we intend to explore are:

1. How to draft an offer letter
2. How to draft a formal employment agreement – general
3. How to draft restrictive covenants
4. How to comply with wage and hour law
5. How to conduct a workplace exempt employee audit
6. How to satisfy exempt employee requirements
7. How to calculate pay rates and overtime for non-exempt employees
8. How to properly assign employee-created IP
9. How to screen and onboard a candidate: background checks
10. How to screen and onboard a candidate: drug testing
11. How to screen and onboard a candidate: pay inquires
12. How to draft an arbitration clause in North Carolina
13. How to conduct a performance review
14. How to investigate an internal complaint – general
15. How to investigate an internal complaint – interviewing the accused
16. How to investigate an internal complaint – interviewing the complainant
17. How to draft an anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, anti-bullying and anti-retaliation policy
18. How to engage an independent contractor
19. How to draft a WARN notice
20. How to respond to FMLA requests
21. How to respond to an ADA request
22. How to implement lawful diversity and inclusion initiatives
23. How to create and implement a voluntary affirmative action program

If you are interested in helping with this project, please email Leann Walsh ([email protected]), Michael Elliot ([email protected]), or Jennifer Bills ([email protected]). We will have a virtual project kickoff meeting later in February to discuss the details. Come join the fun! If you’d like to attend, email Leann, Michael and Jennifer, and we’ll get you the invitation. 

4ALL Service Day

We also want to remind everyone of the upcoming 4ALL Statewide Service Day that will be held on Friday, March 4, 2022 in a virtual format this year. Attorney and paralegal volunteers are needed to serve in 2-hour shifts from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Attorney volunteers may designate practice areas in which they are willing to take calls for 4ALL. Incoming calls will be screened by topic and forwarded to attorneys best able to answer the questions. Volunteers can expect to receive 5-10 calls an hour, depending on practice area. Learn more and volunteer here.

Housing Stability Project

We also wanted to feature that the North Carolina Bar Foundation is launching a new Housing Stability Project in a joint effort with the NC Pro Bono Resource Center in partnership with the NC Office of Recovery & Resilience. Attorney volunteers are needed to assist parties to secure funding through the HOPE eviction assistance program by facilitating agreements between landlords and tenants to accept HOPE program terms. This is a non-litigation, non-advocacy service. You get the rare chance to serve as a mediator between two parties, helping them get “free” money that has already been provided by the federal government to ensure housing stability during COVID – all parties win! No prior experience required; training will be provided. For more information, visit the NCBF Housing Stability Project web page.

Additional Opportunities

If you are looking for additional pro bono opportunities, the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s other programs are all available here. They include projects such as:

• NC LEAP – volunteer attorneys provide business-related legal assistance to local entrepreneurs
• Lawyers in Schools – programs designed to engage legal professionals in volunteer service to promote civic education
• COVID-19 Legal Hotlines – legal hotlines connect attorneys with those affected by COVID-19
• NC Free Legal Answers – a virtual legal advice clinic, connecting citizens in need with attorney volunteers
• Wills for Heroes – volunteer attorneys draft simple wills, health care power of attorney and financial power of attorney documents for first responders and their families

Finally, if you have other ideas for pro bono projects this year, please let us know! All suggestions are welcome– please email Leann Walsh ([email protected]), Michael Elliot ([email protected]), or Jennifer Bills ([email protected]).