December 2024 update: For information on a recent Georgia Supreme Court ruling on open records, see THIS ARTICLE. Is your nonprofit required to allow public access to its records and meetings? Under Georgia law, government agencies and even some nonprofits are required to make certain public disclosures. The Open Records Act and the Open Meetings Act, also known as the Georgia Sunshine Laws, provide broad public access to records and meetings. These laws were recently overhauled by …

The following is an excerpt from The United States of PILCH, a blog by Nathan MacDonald, an Australian attorney traveling in the United States. I have said goodbye to Chicago and have made it south to Atlanta, Georgia. This is a visit I’ve been looking forward to for some time, as many of my counterparts across the United States have said that I ought to see firsthand the work of the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, an …

While many nonprofits use the term member to mean supporter, donor, participant or friend, the term “member” actually has a technical definition under Georgia law. Deciding on whether or not your organization should have members in a legal sense is important because it affects who controls the organization. Learn more about what it means to have members in this article.

Nonprofits cannot survive without the help of volunteers, but they should be aware of and plan for the possible legal risks of working with volunteers. In this encore presentation of a popular workshop, our speaker discusses those risks and then give practical advice about ways to minimize them. Topics to be covered include: • Volunteer screening and background checks, • workplace safety, and • volunteer policies and procedures. Presenter: Rebecca Shanlever, Hall, Arbery, Gilligan, Roberts & Shanlever …

Fall is bringing changes to Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta. First, we have a recent addition to our staff – our new part-time paralegal, Laura Moore. We want to thank the Corporate Counsel Section of the State Bar for providing the initial funding for the position. You can find out more about Laura, including her favorite football team, in the article below. In November, Frank Landgraff will pass the reins as PBPA Board Chair to Rick McMurtry …

Marion Tilson of AT&T (left) and Lisa Williams of Circle of Friends When Marion Tilson first spoke with her new client Lisa Williams, she had no idea that the pro bono matter she was handling for Lisa’s nonprofit organization was the 3000th matter placed by Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta. Neither did we, until we went back and checked our records. But it’s not a surprise that Marion and Lisa were involved in this monumental matter. Marion, …