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Pro Bono @ JALA:

The Public Service Project

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours of legal services am I expected to provide?

The aspirational goal for pro bono public service espoused by the Florida Bar in Rule 4-6.1 of the rules regulating Florida Bar members states that attorneys should provide 20 hours of legal service per year to low-income persons.  JALA welcomes you to contribute as many hours as your schedule allows. 

Please note that the Project tracks the number of hours of service performed by its volunteers. These records are available to volunteer attorneys upon request for use in annual reporting to the Florida Bar.

How are cases referred?

Cases are referred to attorneys who have indicated a willingness to assist in the area of law involved.  Attorneys are initially called with case information and asked to consider meeting with a client for an initial consultation.  If the attorney agrees to a consultation, the client is notified. The client calls the volunteer attorney’s office to set up an appointment.  Following the initial consultation, the volunteer attorney decides whether to accept the client for representation and notifies the Public Service Project of his or her decision.  A volunteer attorney is never obligated to take a referred case.

How are clients selected?

To be eligible for legal assistance, a client must be considered working poor. The Florida Supreme Court has approved a definition of clients who cannot afford to pay for the legal services in question. This involves a case-by-case determination.  Clients must be a U.S. citizen or a legal alien. All cases are evaluated for legal merit and the impact of the legal problem on the client’s life.

What support does JALA provide to me as a volunteer attorney?

The Public Service Project supports volunteers by providing professional liability coverage to all volunteer attorneys who handle cases referred through the Public Service Project. This includes both intake attorneys and attorneys who represent clients.  The coverage is secondary to other coverage the attorney might have.

Volunteers receive resource materials to enable them to represent indigent clients.

JALA staff attorneys and private attorney mentors are available to assist with pro bono cases.

Group and individual training is conducted upon request.

Volunteers are reimbursed for reasonable and necessary costs of litigation and other case related costs.

Participation in a pro bono project gives you valuable experience and new skills in various areas of law. It also provides a very rewarding experience helping others help themselves.

I know how important it is to provide legal services to the poor, but I am not able to volunteer at this time.  How else may I help?

Your tax-deductible contributions are always welcome.  Rule 4-6.1 of the rules regulating Florida Bar members states that attorneys may discharge their aspirational duty to provide 20 hours of legal services to low-income persons by making an annual contribution of at least $350 to a legal services organization.  Donations to JALA help us provide funds to reimburse volunteer attorneys for litigation and transactional costs incurred in cases, as well as providing funds for operating costs.  Click here to donate online.