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The Role of Law Schools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico October 5, 2007

THE ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO __________________________________________________________________________________________ COLLABORATIVE.

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The Role of Law Schools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico October 5, 2007

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  1. THE ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO __________________________________________________________________________________________ COLLABORATIVE Mobilizing Rhode Island Law Firms, Law Students, and the Community in Legal Service The Role of Law Schools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico October 5, 2007

  2. THE ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO __________________________________________________________________________________________ COLLABORATIVE Mobilizing Rhode Island Law Firms, Law Students, and the Community in Legal Service Our Purpose The Pro Bono Collaborative’s primary goal is to increase the provision of pro bono legal services in Rhode Island by establishing an additional and innovative model for pro bono service that makes pro bono easy, efficient, and rewarding.

  3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE GAPIN SERVICE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Need for Legal Assistance (citing the 2007 CLASP study) • For every client who receives service from an LSC grantee, one applicant is turned away due to the program’s lack of resources • At least 80 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income Americans are not being met • There is, at best, one legal aid attorney for every 6,861 low-income persons

  4. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RWU SCHOOLOF LAW ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Public Service Roger Williams University School of Law is one of only 18 law schools in the country with a mandatory pro bono requirement (as defined by the ABA). Prior to graduation, all students must complete at least 20 hours of law related public service prior to graduation that is uncompensated and not for academic credit.

  5. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO COLLABORATIVE __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our History Overview • Racial Justice Colloquium • Racial Justice Task Force • Survey: “Addressing Unmet Legal Need in Rhode Island: Barriers and Incentives to Pro Bono Participation” • Pilot Project • Pro Bono Collaborative

  6. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RACIAL JUSTICE COLLOQUIUM ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ May, 2004 • Funded by The Rhode Island Foundation • Convened by the Feinstein Institute for Legal Service at Roger Williams University School of Law • Community representatives and attorneys discussed Rhode Island’s most pressing racial justice issues • Determination: low-income communities – particularly communities of color – need more pro bono legal assistance than is currently available

  7. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RACIAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June, 2004 - Present • Four subcommittees, formed as a direct result of the Racial Justice Colloquium, have been addressing the following issues: • Housing • Education • Immigration • Criminal Justice • The work around these issues has greatly informed the development of Pro Bono Collaborative projects.

  8. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SURVEY: “ADDRESSING UNMET LEGAL NEED IN RHODE ISLAND: BARRIERS ANDINCENTIVES TOPRO BONO PARTICIPATION” ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Spring, 2005 With a mini-grant from The RI Foundation, the Feinstein Institute conducted a voluntary survey of Rhode Island lawyers to assess pro bono engagement and to identify incentives and obstacles to participation.

  9. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SURVEYRESULTS ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Highlights • Lawyers identified incentives to pro bono participation: • Assistance from law students • Access to subject area experts • Training on specific legal issues • Referrals confined to discrete area of law

  10. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SURVEYRESULTS ______________________________________________________________________________________________ June, 2005 • RI Bar Annual Meeting: Creative Ways to Incorporate Pro Bono Work into Your Practice • Feinstein Institute presented survey results • Brought attorneys from the Pro Bono Initiative in Chicago to talk about the success of their program, which was designed to increase the availability of pro bono legal service in that state

  11. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PBC PILOT PROJECT _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2006 • Launched in January, with support from the RWU School of Law and a generous grant from The RI Foundation • Eliza Vorenberg, J.D., hired to launch and direct • Three projects: • Special Education Advocacy: • Partridge Snow & Hahn, Casey Family Services, 3 Students • 2. Affordable Housing: • Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels, Community Housing Land Trust,Housing Network of RI, Church Community Housing Corp., 6 Students • 3. Street Law: • Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, RI Children’s Crusade, 2 Students • In October, Leslie Gifford hired to help facilitate

  12. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO COLLABORATIVE __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ January, 2007 Project continued with additional support from The RI Foundation and Roger Williams University School of Law.

  13. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO COLLABORATIVE __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How It Happens We meet with CBO representatives and conduct client surveys and focus groups to determine the most pressing need for assistance that will reach the greatest majority. We develop discrete projects. We present possible projects to attorneys. We recruit law students. We arrange for targeted legal training and provide expert consultants. We oversee all projects.

  14. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PRO BONO COLLABORATIVE __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Current Partnerships • Overview: • 8 projects • 6 firms • 9 community-based organizations • More than 20 law students • 7 RWU law professors

  15. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SPECIALEDUCATIONADVOCACYPROJECT _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Partners: Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP Casey Family Services Meeting Street School 4 Students Legal Assistance Provided: • Special education rights workshops • Direct representation as needed

  16. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ LEGAL RIGHTS _______________________________________________________________________________ Partners: Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP Children’s Friend & Service RI 5 students Legal Assistance Provided: • Legal rights education workshops for parents • Individual assistance as needed

  17. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AFFORDABLE HOUSING ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Partners: Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP Housing Network of RI Church Community Housing Corp. Community Housing Land Trust 6 Students Legal Assistance Provided: • Extensive legal and practice research • Legal and legislative drafting to ensure RI’s existing affordable condominiums remain affordable in perpetuity

  18. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UTILITYSHUT-OFFPREVENTIONADVOCACY _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Partners: Motley Rice LLC George Wiley Center 2 Students Legal Assistance Provided: • Research and draft utility shut-off legislation • Legislative advocacy

  19. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INCOME TAX AMNESTY ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Partners: Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc. 2 Students Legal Assistance Provided: • Research, administrative and legislative advocacy • Enable income tax amnesty for low-income, elderly Rhode Islanders

  20. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FAMILY LAW _______________________________________________________________________ The Partners: Hinckley Allen Snyder LLP Women’s Center of RI 3 Students Legal Assistance Provided: • Direct representation of Women’s Center clients in family law matters • Research and draft a proposal to introduce a CourtWatch program • Present rights education workshops

  21. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RIGHTSEDUCATIONFORSTREETWORKERS _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Partners Hinckley Allen Snyder LLP Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence 2 Students Legal Assistance Provided: • Rights education workshopsfor Streetworkers, individuals mobilized to reduce gang-related violence in Providence

  22. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MARIPOSA CENTER ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Partners Hinckley Allen Snyder LLP Mariposa Center 1 Student Legal Assistance Provided: • We have incorporated this new early-childhood education provider as a non-profit, and will provide ongoing assistance as needed

  23. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PBC Flexibility • Because the Pro Bono Collaborative is not funded by the Legal • Services Corporation, it can: • Serve both indigent individuals and the working poor • Provide legal assistance to undocumented individuals • Provide certain services to prisoners • Conduct administrative or legislative advocacy • Engage in class action litigation

  24. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOT JUST LITIGATION _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Needed services • 2006 LSC funded services: • 57% counsel & advice • 18% brief

  25. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UTILIZING LAW FIRM EXPERTISE _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Types of Service the PBC can provide: • Administrative Advocacy - Advice and Counsel • Direct Representation - Legislative Advocacy • Non-profit Incorporation - Rights Education • Transactional Services - and more

  26. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TAPPING LAW STUDENT PASSION & SKILLS _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Types of Service Law Students Can Provide: • Legal Research - Rights Education Preparation • Case Preparation - Legislative Advocacy • Client Interviewing - and more

  27. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOSTERINGCOLLABORATION __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Attorneys • Predictable and limited pro bono work to fit within their practice • Support through training, student assistance and administrative help • Chance for face to face interaction with community struggles • Unthreatening and easy introduction for lawyers into the community • Connection to other firms, facilitating development of pro bono policies

  28. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOSTERINGCOLLABORATION _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Law Students • Structured, supervised, legal experience in fulfillment of their public service requirement • Opportunity to provide pro bono in a law firm setting • Experience with real legal needs and the power to make a difference • Unique opportunity to collaborate with other law students

  29. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOSTERINGCOLLABORATION ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Community • Legal service added to their other social services • Help with deciphering legal from other social issues facing their clients • Better understanding of their clients' legal rights • Administrative support through PBC transactional projects • Increased impact through legislative or administrative advocacy

  30. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PROJECTSUNDER CONSTRUCTION ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Potential Projects • Legal Rights Education Projects • Guardianship • Truancy Court Advocacy • Veterans’ Advocacy • Teen Pregnancy

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