Pro Bono Program of Western Michigan

To Enroll ONLINE:  ATTORNEY CASE PLEDGE FORM  
To DONATE by Mail:  FINANCIAL PLEDGE FORM

To donate ONLINE using credit card:
                                              

The Pro Bono Program of Western Michigan, a division of Legal Aid of Western Michigan (LAWM), was established in 1982 to increase the availability of direct civil legal services to the low income population. The Program provides a network through which individual attorneys and law firms can donate their expertise and resources to the betterment of their own communities.

THE NEED

The American Bar Association (ABA) estimates that less than 20% of the legal needs of the poor are being met nationwide. Underfunded and understaffed, local legal aid programs cannot begin to meet the demand for their services. In the 17-county area served by LAWM there are over 272,000 individuals who live at or below the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIG) and qualify for free legal assistance. There are only 35 staff attorneys at LAWM who are available to provide those individuals with direct legal assistance (a ratio of one Legal Aid staff attorney per 7,770 poor people). Compare that with the nearly 4,100 private attorneys in the same geographic area (1 for every 68 poor people).

Both the ABA and the State Bar of Michigan (SBM) have recognized the importance of private bar involvement by adopting standards of voluntary pro bono participation for their members. In Michigan, the standard recommends that each member of the SBM annually assist three (3) low income individuals on a pro bono basis, or provide 30 hours of pro bono representation, or make a $300 contribution to a program such as LAWM. 

TO DONATE YOUR TIME...

...complete and return the attached ATTORNEY CASE PLEDGE FORM if you are willing to accept cases.  This form can be completed online and submitted by email.  We have over 25 categories in which you can volunteer your services. You will be contacted prior to any referral being made at which time you can accept or reject that particular case for whatever reason you wish (conflict of interest, schedule is too busy right now to take on an extra case, etc.). You will only be called on to accept referrals in the categories which you have selected on your ATTORNEY CASE PLEDGE FORM. Once you do accept a case, you will be provided with a file containing information about the client and the facts of the case as well as any documents supplied and/or questionnaires completed by the client. We will then notify the client of his/her case being referred to you and have them call your office directly to arrange for an initial appointment.

• EXPENSES:  We will reimburse you for any out-of-pocket expenses you incur in connection with any case we refer to you. The case file we send to you includes a form you can use to request reimbursement of costs. Since our funds are limited, however, we ask that you use fee waiver forms (also included with the initial case file) whenever possible and to call the Program staff prior to incurring any extraordinary expenses (depositions, real estate appraisals, title searches). On occasion, clients who are able to do so, will be required to pay some of the their own costs as well (such as their own bankruptcy filing fees). Both you and the client will be notified of any such requirement in advance.
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• INSURANCE: Professional liability coverage is provided for cases handled through the Program, at no cost to the participating attorney, under the master policy of Western Michigan Legal Services.
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• PAPERWORK:  During the pendency of the case, you may be asked to provide us with updates as to the status of the case. At the conclusion of the case, you will be asked to provide us with information as to the outcome of the case and the approximate amount of time you spent on the file. This information is required by several of our funding sources. A Case Closure Form is included with the initial file for use in providing us with this information. We will attempt to keep the amount of paperwork, a necessary evil, to an absolute minimum.

TO DONATE MONEY...

    We are urging everyone to make their contribution to LAWM via the centralized Access to Justice Development Campaign of the State Bar of Michigan.  By funnelling pledges to LAWM using this centralized campaign, the State Bar is better able to understand current fundraising activities and trends throughout the State. Centralized fundraising also allows the State Bar to widely promote broader support for legal services to the poor by the Community at large (potential funding sources always first inquire as to what lawyers do to support legal services.)  The centralized fund allows the State Bar to quantify the support of attorneys and firms, both in west Michigan and statewide.  Finally, use of this centralized fund allows your contribution to be recorded on the statewide level which will hopefully encourage other firms and attorneys to provide their support.

...complete and return the attached FINANCIAL PLEDGE FORM if you would like to make a donation (either directly to LAWM or through the State Bar’s Access to Justice Fund). Since its inception in 1982, financial contributions have been an integral part of our Program’s annual recruitment campaign.

This option is offered because it allows those individuals who are not in a position to accept referrals to still make a valuable contribution. Many of the area’s FIRMS annually make a blanket contribution on behalf of all of their members. This is also a good way for JUDGES to lend their support. The money donated by firms and individuals accounts for a significant part of LAWM’s annual budget. In fact, donations from the private bar completely fund the operation of the Pro Bono Program which generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in volunteer legal services from the private bar each year. Since LAWM is a 501(c)(3) organization, your financial contributions are tax deductible. In addition, LAWM's  Pro Bono Program is designated by the SBM as eligible to receive contributions under the Voluntary Pro Bono Standard.

For additional information: 

PRO BONO PROGRAM OF WESTERN MICHIGAN

89 Ionia Ave., NW

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

616-774-0672