The Atlanta Lawyer December 2016 / January 2017 | Page 21

service between lawyers and pro
bono cases.
I have heard many lawyers complain that they do not know where
to go to find a pro bono case, and
the Campaign seeks to address this
concern by introducing a new tool
to streamline the connection: a simple website where a lawyer answers
a few questions and identifies legal
areas of interest, and then, based
on the answers provided, the site
connects the attorney with the pro
bono director for one of various
organizations that serve low income
Georgians. While the initial information is gathered via computer,
there will be a human involved who
can help to make sure that every
interested attorney is ultimately
connected to a meaningful pro
bono assignment.
Mike Monahan, the State Bar’s
Pro Bono Coordinator and one of
the moving forces behind the new
Campaign, stresses that interacting with the Due Justice-Do Fifty
website is risk free: “Answering the
questions on the website does not
commit the lawyer to taking a case,
but rather puts the lawyer in contact
with a person and an organization
that will help to match the lawyer
to an appropriate case.” Monahan
also notes that the members of the
Access to Justice Committee are
ready and willing to help as backup
if needed to assist in finding the
right case for the right lawyer.
Monahan points out that while
some legal practice areas, such as
patent law or commercial real estate, may not at first blush appear
particularly relevant to the needs of
low-income people, often the only
thing a client needs is an energized

problem solver willing to make a
phone call. He also notes that many
of the legal services organizations in
the State of Georgia offer training
and mentoring in different legal areas, making it possible for lawyers to
use their pro bono service to learn
a new area of law and add another
tool to the lawyer’s tool belt.
What lawyer would not benefit from
attending a training on landlord
tenant law or from learning how to
draft a will or obtain a guardianship
for an elderly person in need?
The new website will allow the attorney to identify not only his or
her current skillset, but also different areas of law in which the lawyer
might be willing to venture.
Through a series of videos and print
media broadcast online, in publications, and at Bar events, the Cam-

areas in which lawyers can help,
such as handling consumer fraud
claims in small claims court, representing children in the juvenile
justice system, assisting veterans
obtain benefits or other services,
filing federal lawsuits to enforce
civil rights, or doing uncontested
adoptions.
The Campaign will feature over
several months several lawyers
and showcase the different ways
in which they provide pro bono
legal services.
The hope is that lawyers who otherwise might be hesitant to pick up
a pro bono case might find inspiration from other lawyers handling
unique pro bono matters.
As 2017 unfolds, pay attention to
the State Bar’s Access to Justice
Campaign. Look for videos, web
ads, and materials at Bar events and
CLEs. Check your parking garage

“Answering the questions on
the website does not commit
the lawyer to taking a case, but
rather puts the lawyer in contact
with a person and an organization that will hel