The State Bar Association of North Dakota Spring 2014 Gavel Magazine | Page 26
PRO BONO WORK OFFERS
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BENEFITS
Just a few
“working onhours
the
Senior Hotline
can make a big
difference.
”
Two years ago, SBAND reactivated a Pro Bono
Task Force to address both the ongoing needs
for the legal profession to provide pro bono
services, as well as specific concerns that relate to
North Dakota’s growing population and funding
concerns for existing programs.
The task force wants to build a culture of pro
bono in the state that focuses on manpower and
money, says Bismarck attorney Levi Andrist,
who heads the task force. In building this culture,
task force members hope more lawyers will step
up to provide services, contribute funds to the
Bar Foundation, and support state and national
legislation that would increase funding for Legal
Services of North Dakota.
And while there is a professional responsibility
for lawyers to provide pro bono services, Andrist
says doing so provides both personal and
professional benefits for lawyers, including:
BENEFIT 1: Earning CLE credit
North Dakota attorneys may receive CLE credit
for performing uncompensated legal services for
clients unable to afford counsel.
Details are outlined in SBAND’s CLE Policy
1.19, which states the services must be performed
under the auspices of a legal assistance program
approved by SBAND’s CLE Commission, such
as Legal Services of North Dakota, or SBAND’s
pro bono program.
It further states that credit may be earned at the
rate of 1.0 hour of CLE credit for every 6.0 hours
of uncompensated legal services performed. An
attorney may receive no more than 3.0 CLE
credit hours under this policy in any one year
of the attorney’s reporting period. Credit may
also be earned at the same rate, and subject to
the same limit for service as an uncompensated
mentor attorney to an attorney providing
uncompensated legal services under the auspices
of an approved legal assistance program.
BENEFIT 2: Receiving professional
recognition
The new SBAND “Justice for All” lawyer
program will recognize members who provide 50
hours or more of pro bono legal services per year.
Starting in 2014, lawyers who reach that level
of volunteer hours for the previous year will be
recognized as a “Justice for All” lawyer.
The pro bono hours include legal services
provided to low-income individuals at no fee and
without expectation of a fee.
The program recognizes the pro bono work
reported to SBAND. Lawyers who report 50
hours or more annually will be included on an
annual roster published in the SBAND Gavel
magazine. They will also receive a certificate
suitable for framing and will be invited to an
event honoring all award recipients.