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Pro Bono
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We are a non-profit (501-C3) agency that provides free legal aid civil service to indigent persons.
Participation
Forms
Pro Bono FAQ's
Pro Bono Attorney Registration Form
(printable)
The information on this form is made available for all pro bono attorneys.
www.floridaprobono.org
(Membership not required)
www.FLAdvocate.org (Most areas require membership)
www.floridalawhelp.org (Mostly for clients)
BCLA staff members and/or Board members give community presentations frequently to other agencies or groups that have a need to know about BCLA and its services. Community legal education is often coordinated through BCLA. BCLA matches attorneys having specific areas of expertise with requests for attorney speakers. Emphasis is given to presentations to low-income persons. A wide spectrum of self-help and interagency brochures are distributed by BCLA.
Looking ahead with current economic trends BCLA predicts that they will have more requests for services than ever before. BCLA and many other legal aid services in the state have been working side by side to develop a plan to be able to serve more people and families. This plan also incorporates direction and ways to increase Pro Bono participation from private attorneys. This plan will be launched later this year.
Each year, in June, BCLA begins its annual pro bono recruitment. Of Brevard's approximately 900 attorneys, 43% participate in the Pro Bono Program. Brevard's attorneys support the voluntary pro bono effort through BCLA by either providing direct voluntary service or by making a monetary contribution to BCLA in lieu of pro bono service. BCLA has received $45,000 in lieu of pro bono service contributions. Pro bono attorneys handled 53% of the 1479 cases closed in 2008. The cases range from simple advice to full representation that can be 100+ hours of pro bono work. Approximately 23% of the closed pro bono cases involved full representation.
BCLA coordinates requests for pro bono attorneys with other regional and state legal service providers and the Office of the State Attorney to offer diversified pro bono opportunities. Some attorneys have agreed to "Adopt an Agency" which allows pro bono attorneys to provide legal assistance to non-profit agencies that serve the poor. Others have agreed to staff advice clinics, serve as mentors or to speak to low-income groups on pertinent legal subjects. Attorneys with the Office of the State Attorney actively perform pro bono by giving community education lectures and volunteering in its Teen Court Project. Teen Court volunteers serve as prosecutors, attorneys or judges, as well as training teens to act as court personnel or jurors. Teen Court assists the overburdened juvenile court by diverting misdemeanor juvenile offenders to the Teen Court Program.
