How do I get involved with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta?
What type of matters would I get to work on?
Who are Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta’s clients?
How does Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta screen its clients?
What is the process that I go through as a volunteer attorney?
What is the scope of my matter?
Can I get assistance on my matter from other attorneys?
Can other attorneys at my firm or legal department help?
What if I do not hear from the client?
What if I cannot continue working on the matter?
Am I required to meet in person with the client?
What is the level of commitment expected of me?
Will my work be covered by malpractice insurance?
I am a member of the Bar in another state. Do I need to be admitted in Georgia to volunteer?
Can newly admitted attorneys volunteer?
Can paralegals volunteer?
Can law students or LLM students volunteer?
Who is responsible for paying filing fees and other third-party costs?
I’m on the board of a nonprofit organization (or know another nonprofit in my community). Can they come to PBPA for help?
How do I get involved with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta?
The first step is to sign up as a volunteer here. After that, you will receive a monthly email with Volunteer Opportunities. You can also request a project from our current list of Volunteer Opportunities at any time.
What type of matters would I get to work on?
We handle a wide range of transactional legal matters including corporate, real estate, contracts, intellectual property, employment, tax and technology.
We also have a Learning Center with articles, webcasts and workshops covering a wide range of legal issues that impact our nonprofit clients. We are often in need of volunteer attorneys to prepare and present these educational materials. Our matters range in complexity and time commitment, but most are discrete and manageable (requiring 5-15 hours). Our staff attorneys will work with you to find an opportunity that is a good fit.
Who are Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta’s clients?
PBPA’s clients are nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations that serve the poor and disadvantaged. Our clients cannot afford to pay for legal services without significant impairment to their program budget.
How does Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta screen its clients?
Organizations that are interested in PBPA’s services must go through an extensive application process, which includes providing information about their charitable activities, budgets, and corporate governance structure. Representatives from the organization then meet with one of our attorneys for an in-depth screening meeting to determine if we can take the organization as a client and to identify the organization’s legal needs.
What is the process that I go through as a volunteer attorney?
- Selecting a Matter: You may request a matter here or email volunteer@pbpatl.org if you are interested in one of our Volunteer Opportunities.
- Scheduling: PBPA will schedule the initial conference call with you, the client and one of our staff attorneys. Be on the lookout for a scheduling email that will ask for your availability. We highly recommend that you respond with your availability concurrently with your conflicts check to avoid unnecessary delays in starting a matter.
- Clearing Conflicts: You will receive an automated email that you have been matched with a matter that will include the information that you need to run conflicts. Verify that you have no conflicts of interest and have all necessary department or firm approvals. If conflicts do not clear, let us know and we will withdraw the matter and assist you in finding another matter.
- Meeting the Client: You will receive a calendar invitation for the introductory call. During that call, a PBPA staff attorney assigned to the matter will introduce you to the client. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the client’s mission, ask about the scope of the project, and request whatever documents that you may need.
- Working with the Client: After the initial call, you will work with the client independently, but the PBPA staff attorney is available for assistance (see below).
- Status Updates: A PBPA staff member will contact you periodically for updates on the progress of the matter. Please respond to these emails.
- Closing the Matter: Inform PBPA when the matter is complete and provide an estimate of the number of hours you spent on the matter. Please send PBPA copies of significant memoranda or other documents prepared in the course of your representation.
- Completing a Closing Survey: You will receive a survey by email after we are notified that the matter is complete. Please take a moment to let us know about your experience.
What is the scope of my matter?
You are only expected to handle the specific matter for which you initially volunteered. If your client contacts you directly about additional matters or if the matter expands beyond what you agreed to do, please refer the request to PBPA. You are not obligated to assist the client on matters outside the scope of your initial representation. If you would like to work with your client again, we are happy to accommodate your request but ask that all requests for assistance be directed through PBPA.
Can I get assistance on my matter from other attorneys?
A PBPA staff attorney is assigned to every matter, participates in the conference call with the volunteer attorney and client, provides support (such as forms and other resources) as needed and is available to assist with issues relating to nonprofit or tax-exempt law. Because PBPA is co-counsel on every matter, these communications are generally covered by attorney-client privilege. During your representation, you may determine that your matter would benefit from assistance from another attorney due to its complexity or timeliness. The PBPA staff attorney assigned to your matter can assist in finding additional volunteers.
Can other attorneys at my firm or legal department help?
Yes, but if you ask one or more of your colleagues to join you at any point, please advise us so we can give them credit for volunteering!
What if I do not hear from the client?
Please contact PBPA if your client is not being responsive. We are here to ensure that you have a smooth and rewarding volunteer experience.
What if I cannot continue working on the matter?
If you find that you cannot devote sufficient attention to your matter, or if any other questions or problems arise in the course of your representation, please contact PBPA immediately and we will assist.
Am I required to meet in person with the client?
No. Volunteers and clients are certainly welcome to meet in person, but most projects can be handled solely through telephone calls, virtual meetings and email.
What is the level of commitment expected of me?
You may volunteer for matters as often or as little as you like. All that we ask is that you complete any matter for which you volunteer. If you are unable to complete a matter for any reason, please contact us as soon as possible and we will find another volunteer.
Will my work be covered by malpractice insurance?
Yes. All of our volunteer attorneys are covered through our malpractice insurance policy.
I am a member of the Bar in another state. Do I need to be admitted in Georgia to volunteer?
Most projects will require a volunteer attorney admitted in Georgia, but there are some exceptions. Let PBPA know if you are not admitted in Georgia and we can try to find a solution for you. For example, in-house attorneys who are not admitted in Georgia may partner with a colleague, a law firm attorney or possibly one of our staff attorneys in order to take a matter.
Can newly admitted attorneys volunteer?
PBPA does not have the capacity to supervise attorneys on projects, so all volunteers should have sufficient expertise to handle the matter or should be supervised by a more senior attorney at their firm or legal department.
Can paralegals volunteer?
Paralegals are welcome to volunteer for PBPA projects, but they should first find an attorney from their firm or legal department to actively supervise the project.
Can law students or LLM students volunteer?
Our Volunteer Opportunities are not available to law students or LLM students unless they are supervised by a licensed attorney in an employment setting (such as a summer associate program) or law school clinic. However, we offer both semester-long and summer internship opportunities and are also happy to work with students to develop post-graduate fellowship proposals. Please see Volunteering as a Law Student or LLM Student for more information.
Who is responsible for paying filing fees and other third-party costs?
The nonprofit client is responsible for paying all filing fees and other third-party costs, but please do not incur any such costs until you receive approval from the client. We recommend that you ask the client to pay all fees up front, before you make any filings.
I’m on the board of a nonprofit organization (or know another nonprofit in my community). Can they come to PBPA for help?
Certainly. You may direct nonprofit organizations to our website: Need Legal Assistance?