March 25, 2009

Reinventing pro bono (free) legal services

In recent years, the number of pro bono (free) legal services available in BC has exploded. Today, the Salvation Army offers 22 clinics in communities around the province, with plans to open more, including a northern expansion program to cover Prince George, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince Rupert and Williams Lake.

Access Justice has over 400 volunteer lawyers working at 61 clinics from Campbell River to Winnipeg. The UBC Law Students’ Legal Advice Program and the University of Victoria Law Centre run busy pro bono services with the help of dedicated students. And Pro Bono Law of BC has developed new and original ways of providing free representation and assistance to people and non-profit organizations of limited means through its roster programs.

The demand for legal advice and representation continues to grow. This spring, the three leaders in BC’s pro bono world, John Pavey, manager of pro bono and justice services for the Salvation Army, Allan Parker, the new executive director of the Access Justice, and Jamie Maclaren, executive director of Pro Bono Law of BC, began to reinvent how they will deliver pro bono in the future.

With a $75,000 grant provided by the Law Foundation of BC, the three organizations have begun to map out a system to identify available services and, where gaps and duplicate services exist, allow the organizations to direct clients to the services most appropriate to their needs. By working together to coordinate pro bono service delivery, Pavey, Parker, and Maclaren hope to serve their clients more efficiently and effectively. Pro Bono Law of BC and Access Justice are likely to merge into one organization in 2010.

Pro Bono Law of BC already offers a searchable map outlining all pro bono legal services in BC (probonomap.bc.ca), and Access Justice provides a list of alternative resources for clients on its website (accessjustice.ca). The Salvation Army is also very familiar with coordinated service delivery (see probono.ca).

While a recent survey conducted by Pro Bono Law of BC shows that most pro bono clients come to lawyers via referrals from family, friends, or colleagues, Maclaren, Pavey, and Parker point to the benefits of working with their organizations. Maclaren notes that many lawyers don’t know that Pro Bono Law of BC provides disbursement coverage for poverty law cases. The Law Society also extends insurance coverage to lawyers who are not otherwise insured for certain pro bono legal services provided through approved programs. In addition, the Lawyers Insurance Fund waives the financial consequences of paid claims for lawyers providing pro bono services in these circumstances.

Pro bono work helps both lawyers and clients because it provides legal help to clients and allows young lawyers to gain experience, get into the courtroom, and conduct their own files. If the last 10 years are any indication, the pro bono world is bound for positive change.