Pro Bono Graduation Requirement An On-line Orientation

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Pro Bono Graduation RequirementAn On-line
Orientation
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OVERVIEW

• Part I - Introduction to Pro Bono Service
• Part II - Summary of our Pro Bono Program
• Part III - The Florida Bars Guidelines for
  Professional Conduct
• Part IV - Getting Started!

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PART I

• Introduction to Pro Bono Service

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What is Pro Bono Service?

• Pro bono service is defined as legal work
  designed to present a position on behalf of the
  public at large on matters of public interest.
• Pro bono service does not include the direct
  representation of litigants in actions between
  private persons, corporations, or others in which
  the financial interests at stake would warrant
  representation from private legal sources.

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Importance of Pro Bono Service

• The legal profession is, at its foundation,
  about service service to individuals, to
  organizations, and to private and public
  entities. "Public service" however has a special
  meaning for the legal profession. This meaning
  may be debatable around the edges, but at its
  core is the responsibility of the profession to
  insure access to justice for all by meeting not
  only the legal needs of those who can afford a
  lawyer but also the legal needs of those
  individuals and communities that cannot.

http//www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/lawsch
ools/
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The College of Law is not unique in this
endeavor. In recent years, more than 100 law
schools throughout the nation have implemented
structured school-wide pro bono programs and/or
pro bono opportunities for their law students.
These include

• Columbia University
• Florida State University
• Georgetown University
• Northeastern University
• University of Maryland
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Washington
• Valparaiso University
• William Mary College

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Pro Bono Requirement for Lawyers

• The American Bar Association sets forth a
  lawyers pro bono responsibility in Model Rule
  6.1, which encourages lawyers to aspire to render
  at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services per
  year without fee or expectation of fee to persons
  of limited means or to organizations designed
  primarily to address the needs of persons of
  limited means.
• Rule 4-6.1 of The Florida Bar Rules provides that
  pro bono service is part of the lawyers
  professional responsibility.

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Benefits to Students

• Performing pro bono services gives students a
  unique opportunity to
• Increase their knowledge of the law
• Gain practical work experience
• Develop fundamental skills and values
• Explore alternative career opportunities
• Establish mentoring relationships

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Resume-Building Opportunities

• For many students, pro bono experience may be the
  only legal-related experience they have at this
  early stage of their law school careers.
• You should include your pro bono service on your
  resume, listing where you worked and the nature
  of the work you performed.
• Also, your pro bono employer could serve as a
  great reference for you late in life.

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Mentorship Opportunities

• Pro Bono service provides law students the
  opportunity to work closely with attorneys
  serving the public interest on a variety of
  interesting and important issues.
• Many students develop strong working
  relationships with the attorneys they assist and
  these connections extend beyond the time they
  work on the pro bono project.

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PART II

• Summary of Our Pro Bono Program

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Graduation Requirement

• In order to graduate from the College of Law,
  students are REQUIRED to complete 20 hours of pro
  bono service.
• Students who elect to complete more than 40 hours
  will receive a certificate of Outstanding Pro
  Bono Service.

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When Can You Start?

• Students must be in their second or third year to
  receive credit for pro bono hours.
• For the purposes of the pro bono program, you
  will be considered a 2L after you take your last
  final exam this Spring.
• Many 1L students choose to do their pro bono the
  summer after their first year.

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What Type of Work Qualifies?

• To qualify as pro bono work, it must meet these
  conditions
• Cannot receive compensation for work
• Work must be completed under supervision of an
  attorney
• Nature of work must be on behalf of the public
  interest and civil in nature, with limited
  exceptions such as the State Attorneys or Public
  Defenders Office.

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What Does on behalf of the public interest
Mean?

• This means that the nature of the work must be
  for
• Disadvantaged minority
• Victims of racial, sexual, or other forms of
  discrimination
• Those denied human and civil rights or
• Other work on behalf of the public in general

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Identifying a Pro Bono Site

• Students are able to perform pro bono service
  at countless locations. Service can be conducted
  anywhere in the country, provided the nature of
  the work falls within the parameters of the
  program. Some examples are
• Private Law Firms
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Working with faculty members on special projects

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Pre-approved Pro Bono Sites

• For your convenience, the Office of Student
  Affairs maintains a list of pre-approved sites,
  most of which are located here in Tallahassee.
• It is your responsibility to contact the
  supervising attorney at a particular site to
  inquire about available pro bono opportunities.
  Keep in mind that not all locations have
  opportunities at all times.
• You can find a copy of the list in Room 206 and
  online at
• www.law.fsu.edu/current_students/student_affairs/p
  ro_bono.php

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A Few Popular Locations

• Some of the most popular pre-approved sites
  include
• Family Law Assistance Program
• Teen Court
• Trust for Public Land
• Guardian Ad Litem
• Childrens Advocacy Center
• EarthJustice
• Legal Environment Assistance Foundation
• Legal Services

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Other Locations

• You are not limited to sites on the Pre-Approved
  Sites lists.
• If you identify an opportunity elsewhere, you
  must submit a Pro Bono Registration Form to the
  Office of Student Affairs Office BEFORE
  completing any hours.
• A copy of the form is located in Room 206 and
  online at www.law.fsu.edu/current_students/student
  _affairs/pro_bono.php
• We will verify that the site is acceptable and
  that you will receive credit for hours performed
  at that location.
• Save your copy for the signed form for your
  records.

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Types of Responsibilities

• The types of work students perform depends on
• the chosen site. Generally students are involved
  in
• Researching case law and legal issues
• Drafting memoranda
• Preparing for trial
• Drafting trial documents
• Pre-trial investigations
• Interviewing witnesses

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Receiving Credit

• Once you have completed your required hours, you
  should submit the green Pro Bono Completion Form
  to the Office of Student Affairs. The form
  requires your supervising attorney to sign off on
  the total number of hours performed.
• If you work for multiple locations, you must
  submit a separate form for each location.
• Submit the completed form to the Office of
  Student Affairs.
• Within several days, you will receive a signed
  copy of the form. Save your copy for your
  records.

You can find a copy of the list in Room 206 and
online at www.law.fsu.edu/current_students/studen
t_affairs/pro_bono.php
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Pro Bono Deadline

• Your 20 hours of pro bono service must be
  completed no later than 30 days before your date
  of graduation.
• You will not be certified to graduate until you
  have met the pro bono requirement. So plan ahead!

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PART III

• The Florida Bars Guidelines for Professional
  Conduct

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The Florida Bar Rules

• Familiarize yourself with some important rules
  relating to Professional Conduct before you begin
  your pro bono service.
• The Florida Rules of Professional Conduct are
  located on the Florida Bars website at
  www.floridabar.org

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Rules of Professional Conduct

• The Florida Bar has established rules that govern
  the relationship between lawyers and their
  clients.
• The following slides present an overview of some
  of those regulations that you should be familiar
  with when doing your pro bono work.

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Rule 4-1.1 Competence

• A lawyer shall provide competent representation
• to a client. Competent representation requires
• the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and
• preparation reasonably necessary for the
• representation.

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4-1.2 (e)Scope of Representation

• Limitation on Lawyers Conduct
• When a lawyer knows or reasonably should know
  that a client expects assistance not permitted by
  the Rules of Professional Conduct or by law, the
  lawyer shall consult with the client regarding
  the relevant limitations on the lawyers conduct.

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Rule 4-1.3Diligence

• A lawyer shall act with reasonable diligence in
  representing a client.

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Rule 4-1.4(a)Communication

• Informing Client of Status of Representation
• A lawyer shall keep a client reasonably informed
  about the status of a matter and promptly comply
  with reasonable requests for information.

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Rule 4-1.6Confidentiality of Information

• Consent Required to Reveal Information
• A lawyer shall not reveal information
  relating to representation of a client (except
  under limited circumstances) unless the client
  consents after disclosure to the client.
• Limited circumstances are set forth in
  subdivisions (b), (c) and (d) of the rule

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Rule 4-1.7Conflict of Interest

• Representing Adverse Interests
• A lawyer shall not represent a client if the
  representation of that client will be directly
  adverse to the interests of another client unless
• The lawyer reasonably believes the representation
  will not adversely affect the lawyers
  responsibilities to and relationship with the
  other client and
• Each client consents after consultation.

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Rule 4-2.1Adviser

• In representing a client, a lawyer shall exercise
  
• independent professional judgment and render
• candid advice. In rendering advice the lawyer
• may refer not only to law but to other
• considerations such as moral, economic, social
• and political factors that may be relevant to the
  
• clients situation.

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Rule 4-3.3Candor Toward the Tribunal

• False Evidence Duty to Disclose
• A lawyer shall not knowingly
• Make false statement of material fact or law to a
  tribunal
• Fail to disclose a material fact
• Fail to disclose legal authority in controlling
  jurisdiction known to be adverse to position
• Permit any witness to offer testimony known to be
  false

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Rule 4-3.4Fairness to Opposing Party and Counsel

• Fair competition in the adversary system is
  secured by prohibitions against destruction or
  concealment of evidence, improperly influencing
  witnesses, obstructive tactics in discovery
  procedure, and the like.
• See rule for specific prohibitions.

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Rule 4-4.1Truthfulness in Statements to Others

• In the course of representing a client a
• lawyer shall not knowingly
• Make false statement of material fact or law to a
  third person or
• Fail to disclose a material fact to a third
  person when disclosure is necessary to avoid
  assisting a criminal or fraudulent act by a
  client unless disclosure is prohibited by rule
  4-1.6.

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Rule 4-6.1Pro Bono Public Service

• Each member of the Florida Bar in good standing,
• as part of that members professional
  responsibility, should
• Render pro bono legal services to the poor and
• Participate, to the extent possible, in other pro
  bono service activities that directly relate to
  the legal needs of the poor.

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PART IV

• Getting Started!

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Before getting started, you MUST

• Complete this online orientation
• Contact a provider to complete your hours
• Submit a Certification Form indicating that you
  have completed this online orientation and your
  pro bono hours
• Remember You will not receive any pro bono
  credit until we have received your signed
  certification form.

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Got Questions? Contact Us!

• The Office of Student Affairs
• Room 206
• 644-7338
• saffairs_at_law.fsu.edu