FAQs for Attorneys

Email volunteer@pbpatl.org to sign up to receive our monthly emails with volunteer opportunities. In the email, please include your contact information (including address and phone number), the name of your law firm or legal department, practice area, state(s) in which you are licensed to practice law, and year(s) of admittance. Once you are on our mailing list, you will receive a monthly email with volunteer opportunities.

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 offer articles, webcasts and workshops on legal issues pertaining to nonprofit organizations, and are in need of volunteer attorneys to prepare and present them.

Our matters range in complexity and time commitment, but most are discrete and manageable (requiring 5-15 hours). Our 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 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 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, 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?

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) to volunteer lawyers as needed and is available to assist with issues relating to nonprofit or tax-exempt law. Also, in-house attorneys may request to be paired with a law firm attorney on matters.

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 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.

Can newly admitted attorneys volunteer?

PBPA does not have the capacity to supervise attorneys on projects, so all volunteers should have the expertise sufficient to handle the matter or should be supervised by a more senior attorney at their firm.

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 am a member of the Bar in another state. Do I need to be admitted in Georgia in order to volunteer?

In house attorneys who are not admitted in Georgia may partner with a colleague, a law firm attorney or one of our staff attorneys in order to take a matter.

I’m on the board of a nonprofit organization (or know another nonprofit in my community). Can they come to the partnership for help?

Certainly- you may direct nonprofit organization to our Request for Legal Assistance.

Can paralegals volunteer with PBPA?

We welcome paralegals to assist with our volunteer opportunities, as long as they are supervised by a licensed attorney within their firm or company.

What is the process I go through as a volunteer attorney?

• Email volunteer@pbpatl.org if you are interested in any of volunteer opportunities on our website or on our monthly email. We will send you basic information about the client to run a conflicts check.
• Verify that you have no conflicts of interest and have all necessary department or firm approvals. We can match you with a matter contingent upon these checks.
• PBPA will schedule the initial conference call with you, the client and one of our staff attorneys. After that initial call, you may consult with your client directly.
• The PBPA staff attorney coordinating your project is also available for additional support. Feel free to contact her to request model forms, to consult on nonprofit governance and tax exemption issues, or for any other assistance you may need.
• A PBPA staff member will contact you periodically for updates on the progress of the matter. Please respond with an update. If you have trouble reaching your client, 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.
• In the course of your representation, you may determine that your matter would benefit from additional assistance from a private law firm or in-house attorney due to its complexity or timeliness. Please contact us to discuss possible partnerships.
• Inform the 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.
• If your client contacts you directly about additional matters, please refer their 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.