Model Firm Pro Bono Policy

The purpose of this memorandum is to record the firm's policy of encouraging pro bono activity and to describe the procedures that will be followed by the firm in handling pro bono matters.

Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct

Rule 6.1 provides as follows:
A lawyer should render public interest legal service.  A lawyer may discharge this responsibility by providing professional services at no fee or a reduced fee to persons of limited means or to public service or charitable groups or organizations, by service in activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession, and by financial support for organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means.

The ABA official comment on Model Rule 6.1 states:
Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or professional workload, should find time to participate in or otherwise support the provision of legal services to the disadvantaged.

The Firm's Commitment
The firm believes that pro bono matters are an important part of its overall responsibility.  It is part of every lawyer's professional responsibility to provide pro bono legal services to those in need, and the firm wishes to create an environment in which its individual lawyers will be encouraged to meet their responsibility, in part, by handling pro bono matters. More than the professional duty component alone, the firm sees pro bono legal service as an important means of encouraging all lawyers to get involved in the community, to assist in the development of the legal profession, and to broaden the overall commitment to access to justice for all people.

The firm believes that pro bono matters must be handled with the same level of professional competence as any other matter handled by the firm. The firm encourages its lawyers to meet the ABA standard of 50 hours of pro bono legal service per year, primarily by providing direct representation/legal services to low income individuals.

Administration

Pro Bono Liaison
The firm has named ___________________________ as its Pro Bono Liaison. The Pro Bono Liaison has the responsibility for supervising the pro bono efforts of the firm and its individual lawyers. All matters proposed to be undertaken by the firm or an individual, on a pro bono basis, should be determined by the lawyer as not causing a legal or business conflict with an existing client and should be reviewed by the Pro Bono Liaison who will ensure that:

• Acceptance of the matter is compatible with overall workload constraints;
• There will be adequate supervision; and,
• The case is appropriate for pro bono representation.

Recording of Time and Handling of Expenses.
The firm encourages pro bono work done subject to the supervision of the pro bono liaison and no lawyer will be penalized or criticized for time devoted to pro bono.

It is expected that waiver or suspension of fees for indigent individuals (La CCP art. 5181) will be sought where appropriate. However, the firm will devote the resources of the support staff legal assistants, secretaries, word processing, messenger service, duplicating and the like to pro bono matters. Assignment of lawyers and legal assistants and non-reimbursable expenses of a non-routine nature should be cleared in advance by the Pro Bono Liaison.

Pro Bono Hours
All members of the firm performing pro bono work are encouraged to submit a record of the hours performed to the firm in order that the work can be tracked and so that the pro bono coordinator can ascertain the time being spent on pro bono matters.