Pro Bono - NFPA Commitment

October 20 - 26th is National Pro Bono week and we would love to know what paralegals or your association have planned. Your own pro bono story has the potential to inspire others to the essential work of providing legal assistance to the underserved.

As always, activities involving all aspects of pro bono are welcome and encouraged. The hashtag for the Celebration is #celebrateprobono

Send Your Pro Bono Pictures

Your own pro bono story has the potential to inspire others to the essential work of providing legal assistance to the underserved!

“The pro bono work accomplished by lawyers across America is dependent, in part, on the invaluable support of trained paralegals and legal assistants.  The ABA is appreciative of the National Federation of Paralegal Association’s leadership to promote pro bono by its member organizations and of the tremendous pro bono commitment of individual paralegals throughout the country.” - Linda A. Klein, Esquire, Past President of the American Bar Association, (ABA) 

For additional information on this and other pro bono and community service opportunities, please contact Christine Flynn.

ABA HYLN Pro Bono Survey: This short survey is for lawyers, law firms, pro bono programs, law schools, and other legal service providers who are interested in getting involved with the pro bono initiative. Your responses to this survey will equip the ABA to begin collaborating with you to potentially match your organization with a local homeless youth shelter or drop-in center to provide pro bono legal services.

ALDF’s Pro Bono Program is the nation’s largest pro bono network for animal protection. Working to expand the practice and understanding of animal law in the legal community, the Pro Bono Program partners with attorneys and pro bono coordinators across the country. The program utilizes these volunteers to support the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s litigation, criminal justice, and legislative goals. We provide volunteers with access to the organizations’ resources and expertise, including model laws, pleadings and briefs, and current animal protection laws. Through the program, thousands of pro bono hours have been donated on behalf of animals, and some of the most significant cases in the field of animal law involved pro bono counsel.

The Pro Bono Program also works to expand the practice and understanding of animal law in the legal community by delivering presentations at law firms and state bar association events and keeping volunteers updated on the latest cases, animal law conferences, and continuing legal education opportunities.  Additionally, the Pro Bono Program assists bar association members interested in forming or sustaining animal law bar sections or committees.

Join as an attorney or paralegal member today and learn more about the many ways in which you can get involved in animal law.

Questions? Contact the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Pro Bono Program at ProBono@aldf.org.

Visit www.aldf.org for additional information and to become a paralegal member.

NFPA is committed to paralegal involvement in pro bono services and the delegates have adopted pro bono related agenda topics since 1979. With the legal needs of low-income individuals increasing, paralegal involvement in pro bono activities has become even more critical. Paralegals can benefit the community, the private bar, the judiciary, and the paralegal profession by volunteering of their time, abilities, and skills as trained legal professionals. Pro bono activities also give the local paralegal associations’ greater visibility with bar associations, the judiciary and the public.

• 1979 - NFPA reaffirms its support of public interest activities (NFPA Resolution 79-12)
• 1984 - NFPA Pro Bono Committee Established (NFPA Resolution 84-10)
• 1989 - NFPA Pro Bono Coordinator Established (NFPA Resolution 89-9)
• 1999 - Canon 1.4 of NFPA's Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for Enforcement amended to include 24-hour annual pro bono aspiration and definition of pro bono services adopted (NFPA Resolution 99F-4)
• 2001 - NFPA delegates vote to include pro bono participation towards continuing legal education credits (NFPA Resolution 01S-08)
• 2002 - NFPA delegates vote to include pro bono administrative hours towards annual 24-hour aspiration (NFPA Resolution 02F-1)
• 2006 - NFPA delegates vote to create a program to acknowledge and recognize the endeavors and contributions that paralegals make towards community service projects. Canon 1.4 of NFPA's Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for Enforcement amended to include 24-hour annual community service aspiration and definition of community service adopted (NFPA Resolution 06-05)
• 2006 - NFPA delegates vote to designate May as Pro Bono month (NFPA Resolution 06-03)
• 2012 - NFPA delegates vote to change Pro Bono month from May to October to coincide with the ABA Celebration of Pro Bono (NFPA Resolution 12-01)
• 2022 – NFPA dele gates vote to amend NFPA Code of Ethics EC 1.4(d) to include 50 - hour annual community service or Pro Bono annual community service aspiration.

NFPA Continues to Encourage Paralegal Pro Bono Work

• At the NFPA Annual Convention two Pro Bono awards are given, one to an individual and one to an association. 
• NFPA hosts a pro bono conference annually, either face-to-face or through a series of webinars.
• Many NFPA member associations have a Pro Bono Coordinator. 

NFPA Member Associations with a Pro Bono Chair