The Atlanta Lawyer March 2018 | Page 10

What Do You Know About LRIS? The mission of the Atlanta Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service is to provide and promote access to the legal system through an organized re- ferral service and grant program. The purpose of the program is to aid the public with finding the right attorney who has the capa- bility to address their legal issue and reflects legal professionalism, integrity and a commitment to service. LRIS is a trusted lawyer referral program that was founded in 1955. Since then, LRIS has been servic- ing the community of the Atlanta metropolitan area, including 12 core metro counties: Cherokee, 10 March 2018 Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale. The program is able to provide a referral to the public who may be outside of the above counties if there is an affiliate panel member registered. LRIS in collaboration with the Atlanta Bar Foundation created a Grant Program, which supports pro bono organizations in Geor- gia. In the last 7 years, the Grant Program has contributed over $1,000,000 to non-profit orga- nizations. The Facts LRIS is governed by the Lawyer Referral and Information Service Board of Trustees. The Board is represented by a Chair, Vice Chair, Immediate Past Chair, 7 Members At Large and 2 Ex-Officio Mem- bers. • The program counts on ap- proximately 330 attorneys who are currently serving on the panel. The participating attorneys have an average of 16 years of experience, and are required to be in good stand- ing with the State Bar of Geor- gia and carry legal malpractice insurance. • The LRIS staff handle approxi- mately 45,000 calls per year, and process an average of 900 to 1,200 referrals per month.