NC Paralegal Pro Bono Reporting Is Open Until June 30!
By Paralegal Pro Bono Reporting is open in NC! Four years ago, the NC Pro Bono Resource Center began recognizing paralegals for their valuable pro bono contributions through voluntary reporting with the Paralegal Pro Bono Honor Society.
This year, for the first time, NC Certified Paralegals can submit their pro bono hours through the NC State Bar’s paralegal recertification process. Simply log into the portal and complete the application for recertification, entering your pro bono hours for 2024, when prompted.
Paralegals who are not NCCPs but who practice in the state of North Carolina and completed pro bono work in 2024 can use the Individual Paralegal Pro Bono Reporting Form to submit their hours before June 30.
Paralegals should only report pro bono hours through either the State Bar’s recertification process or via the submission form available through the Pro Bono Resource Center. Do not submit the form to both entities, as the information submitted through the State Bar will be provided to the Pro Bono Resource Center as part of their partnership to make it easier for paralegals to report their hours. The deadline to report pro bono hours completed in 2024 is June 30, 2025.
Pro Bono reporting is voluntary and is not limited to certified paralegals. For more information about the ethical obligations of a paralegal in pro bono service, refer to the Guidelines for Use of Paralegals in Rendering Legal Services, as published by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification.
Paralegals who report at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services completed in 2024 will be recognized through the North Carolina Paralegal Pro Bono Honor Society and with a certificate from the NC Pro Bono Resource Center.
For additional information, please refer to information provided by The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center and contact Sylvia Novinsky, Director of the Pro Bono Resource Center, with any questions.
Rachel Royal, CP, NCCP, graduated with honors from Carteret Community College in 2017, as the Paralegal Graduate of the Year and completed a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Legal Studies at Charter Oak State College in 2024. She has been in leadership with the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division since 2018, including co-chairing the Division’s Pro Bono Committee. Rachel has worked in family law, insurance defense, and municipal law and has been owner of Royal Touch Project as a project consultant since 2020. Her work as both a volunteer and consultant for nonprofits was recognized by the NCBA with the 2024 Closing the Justice Gap Award. Rachel currently works for Frontline Justice as the Program Coordinator and continues to fight for justice reform. Rachel has volunteered for multiple legal services organizations over the past nine years and has been instrumental in developing and coordinating several pro bono projects and pro bono-focused CLEs. She lives in Wilmington, North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
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