October is Pro Bono Month, so it’s a great time to celebrate the important role volunteer attorneys play in helping people navigate legal challenges. Imagine a senior without an advance directive, a survivor of domestic violence trying to leave an abusive marriage or get an order of protection, or an immigrant facing complex legal systems without the support of a lawyer. These situations happen every day, and too often, there’s no one to help. According to a 2022 Justice Gap report, for low-income Americans, 92% of their civil legal needs go unmet due to no legal aid attorneys available to help.
Volunteer attorneys are needed now more than ever. Proposed federal budget cuts could cost legal aid agencies in Cook County over $20 million, leaving thousands of Illinois residents without the help they desperately need. Staff at legal aid organizations are already stretched too thin and volunteers make a real difference by helping families, seniors, and survivors of domestic violence get the legal support they need.
That’s where Pro Bono Network (PBN) comes in. Since 2011, we’ve been making it easy for attorneys, whether new, experienced, taking a career break, or retired, to use their legal skills to volunteer in ways that change people’s lives while also fitting it into their already busy schedules. With training and support, our volunteers provide critical legal help. Just last year, PBN volunteer attorneys donated 2,852 hours, assisting 811 clients across 20 different project areas.
If you are an attorney interested in pro bono work, on Wednesday, Oct. 15, you can join PBN downtown to learn more about what we do and also get trained in many of our volunteer opportunities. We’re hosting a free, one-day Pro Bono Network Training Conference in Chicago with CLE-accredited sessions in family law, immigration, elder law, and more. By the end of the day, you’ll be ready to jump in, get involved, and transform lives.
To learn more and register for our October event, go to https://www.pbnetwork.org/pbntc.
Have a question? Contact our Pro Bono coordinator, Ronak Maisuria, at info@pbnetwork.org.
Molly MacCready
Executive director, Pro Bono Network