A High-Tech Helping Hand: The Marriage of Pro Bono and Technology
Bar associations across the country are seeking technology platforms to help mobilize attorneys and create a more resilient legal assistance community.
May 31, 2017 at 09:00 AM
12 minute read
President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget cuts all federal funding for the Legal Services Corp. (LSC), the largest source of funding for U.S. legal aid services, prompting great concern from the legal industry about the need to support legal aid efforts.
Bar associations around the country, however, have long sought means to bolster member support for legal assistance projects. These organizations have spent the last few years planning and developing technology to better encourage attorneys to take on pro bono opportunities to support legal assistance projects and foster a more resilient legal services delivery system.
Pro bono efforts have gained renewed interest from the legal community in recent years, well before Trump's proposals to cut the LSC's budget. The New York State Bar Association last year began requiring that bar applicants complete pro bono service before being barred; California floated a similar proposal before it was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor last year told audience members at the American Law Institute, “If I had my way, I would make pro bono service a requirement,” prompting attorneys and legal services organizations to think about new ways to encourage attorneys to put in pro bono hours.
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