PBA Joins in Plans for National Pro Bono Celebration October 2009
The PBA Pro Bono Office is making plans to celebrate pro bono week statewide Oct. 25-31, 2009!

The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service has formally kicked off plans for the first ever National Pro Bono Celebration, scheduled for Oct. 25-31, 2009. The event is an opportunity to celebrate the difference lawyers make in communities, to recruit and train more pro bono volunteers and to acknowledge the partnerships that form the basis for so many of the private bar's successful pro bono efforts.

A Web site has been developed at www.celebrateprobono.org to help get this project rolling. Ultimately the site will provide information about National Pro Bono Celebration activities, resources and materials, and a map/calendar of planned events nationwide. The site provides overview information and allows visitors to sign up for the e-mail list or to let others know of their plans for the celebration.

In tandem with the National Pro Bono Celebration, the Berks County Bar Association has scheduled a special luncheon and an afternoon of seminars for Tuesday, Oct. 27, to celebrate 40 years of legal services in Berks County and to honor its pro bono program participants. Senior Judge Wettick will be the keynote speaker and Judge John Jones will be helping with a seminar. Also, Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray (one of the first executive directors of the local program) will be on hand. The Berks bar will be inviting all of the Berks County alumni of Tri-County, Central Penn and MidPenn Legal Services to this event. Berks bar Executive Director Don Smith is coordinating the event. For more information, contact Smith at [email protected].

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the Bucks County Bar Association's (BCBA) Pro Bono Committee hosts its annual reception to honor attorneys who have provided pro bono legal assistance to the residents of the county. Elissa Heinrichs, chair of the committee, is coordinating the event. For more information, contact her at [email protected].

Philadelphia plans a full week of activities. The Public Interest Section's delivery of Legal Services Committee, Law School Outreach Committee and Law Firm Pro Bono Committee will present a variety of educational forums, pro bono recruitment events, legal clinics, and CLE training programs in collaboration with the American Bar Association's 2009 National Pro Bono Celebration. This celebration commemorates the pro bono contribution of Philadelphia's lawyers and provides an opportunity for the recruitment and training of new volunteers to meet the increased demand for pro bono services. Philadelphia events include the following:

• Chancellor's Forum on Celebrating Pro Bono Collaborations in Philadelphia, noon, on Oct. 26, at the Philadelphia Bar Association;
• Pro Bono Open House Fair, on Oct. 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Duane Morris L.L.P.;
• VIP Pro Bono Opportunities Day, on Oct. 27, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker, & Rhoads L.L.P., featuring CLE training in mortgage foreclosure, public housing and quiet title;
• Support Center for Child Advocates CLE training program on How to Handle a Child Abuse Case, on Oct. 28, from 8:30 a.m., to 4:30 p.m., at PBI Conference Center;
• Legal Clinics presented by the Homeless Advocacy Project on Oct. 27, 28, 29 and 30 at various locations throughout Philadelphia; and
• Capstone CLE Forum, "Pro Bono: Where Do We Go From Here," on Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

The momentum for the celebration week is building. Individuals and groups all over the country are planning events to highlight local achievements and needs. There are now over 100 events being planned in 34 states and 65 local communities.

New Web Site Unveiled
The new National Pro Bono Celebration Web site is officially launched! Please visit www.celebrateprobono.org and explore these important features:
     * A Toolkit to help you plan and implement your Celebration events
      * A Calendar of scheduled events throughout the nation; you'll want to add your own event(s) to the list
      * An up-to-date list of participating groups that are planning but have not yet confirmed the details of their events.

Web Site Links
Develop your own state or local Web site for events and provide us with the link; you can also link directly to the National Pro Bono Celebration Web site.

Videos
The new National Pro Bono Celebration Web site has a video section. Please consider making a video as part of your planning, recruitment and celebration activities. Post the video on YouTube or on your own Web site and we'll link to it from our site. Watch for announcements about a national client-interview video project!

News
Let us know about any interesting or noteworthy developments as you plan; we will post your news on the Web site.

Sign Up for RSS Feeds
You can keep up-to-date with the latest celebration news and events by subscribing to updates in your favorite RSS newsreader. To sign up for RSS feeds from the National Pro Bono Celebration Web site, simply click the RSS button on the News or Events page and follow the instructions for your particular newsreader.

Consultation Services
The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is your resource for assistance in planning and implementing your celebration events. Please contact consultant Sharon Browning at [email protected] with any questions.

ABA Division of Legal Services "Dialogue" Spring 2009 Newsletter Reports on the National Pro Bono Celebration

ABA Summary of Pennsylvania Events

Local Celebrations
    Allegheny County: The Allegheny County Bar Association has taken the American Bar Association's National Pro Bono Celebration from a one week highlighting of pro bono to a month full of meetings, trainings and events, all designed to encourage, increase and support attorney participation in the provision of free legal services to low-income individuals and families. To add to the fun, several firms including Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti and Reed Smith are hosting "dress-down days," when attorneys and staff members may make a donation to the Allegheny County Bar Foundation and wear jeans or other casual attire to work. Then the ACBA will wrap up the month with Pro Bono Rocks! on Nov. 6 at the Hard Rock Cafe.
    Berks County: Pro Bono 40th Anniversary Celebration, Oct. 27, 2009
    Chester County: Pro Bono CLE Training
    Dauphin County: Pro Bono Leadership and Opportunities
    Lebanon County: Pro Bono Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, Oct. 26, 2009
    Philadelphia:
Pro Bono Celebration Week Begins Oct. 26: Pro Bono Celebration Week honors the pro bono contribution of Philadelphia's lawyers and offers an occasion to learn more about the interesting and professionally challenging pro bono opportunities that exist with Philadelphia's public interest organizations. Coordinated by the Public Interest Section's Delivery of Legal Services Committee and the Law School Outreach and Law Firm Pro Bono Committees of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Pro Bono Celebration Week is planned in collaboration with the ABA's National Pro Bono Celebration. The following is a list of Pro Bono Celebration Week activities:
Monday, Oct. 26
� Chancellor's Forum on Prisoner Pro Bono Projects: 12 - 1:30 p.m., Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St. Register at philadelphiabar.org.
� Pro Bono Open House: 5 - 7 p.m., Duane Morris LLP, 30 S. 17th St. To register contact Nicole Friant at [email protected].
Tuesday, Oct. 27
� Philadelphia VIP Pro Bono Opportunities Day: 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP, 123 S. Broad St., 28th Floor. For more information, contact [email protected] or call (215) 523-9567 to register. Two CLE credits are available for those who accept a VIP case within six months of the training.
� Homeless Advocacy Project Legal Clinic: 10 - 11 a.m., Kirkbride/Traveler's Aid, 111 N. 49th St. Register with Marsha Cohen at [email protected].
Wednesday, Oct. 28
� Support Center for Child Advocates CLE training program on How to Handle a Child Abuse Case: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., The CLE Conference Center, Wanamaker Building, 13th and Market streets, 10th floor. Register with PBI at 1-800-247-4724. Six CLE credits, including 1 ethics credit, are available.
� Homeless Advocacy Project Legal Clinic, 6 - 7 p.m., UHCH, Penn Center, St. Agatha/St. James, 38th and Chestnut streets. Register with Marsha Cohen at [email protected].
Thursday, Oct. 29
� SeniorLAW Center HelpLine volunteer training program: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Fox Rothschild LLP, 2000 Market St., Register with Sue Wasserkrug at 215-701-3216 or [email protected]. Two free CLE credits are anticipated for volunteers.
� Homeless Advocacy Project Legal Clinic: 6 - 7 p.m., Eliza Shirley Shelter, 1320 Arch St. Register with Marsha Cohen at [email protected].
Friday, Oct. 30
� Capstone CLE Forum - Pro Bono: Where Do We Go From Here: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 34th and Chestnut streets. 3 CLE credits (pending approval). Register with Arlene Finkelstein at [email protected].
� SeniorLAW Center training program Personal Planning 101: Wills, Living Wills, and Powers of Attorney for Older Pennsylvanians: 12 - 3 p.m., Duane Morris LLP, 30 S. 17th St. Register with Roxanne Crowley at [email protected]. Three free CLE credits are available in exchange for handling a case.
� Homeless Advocacy Project Legal Clinic: 1:45 - 2:45 p.m., St. John's Hospice, 1221 Race St. Register with Marsha Cohen at [email protected].
Pro Bono Opportunities Day Oct. 27: Philadelphia VIP, the hub of pro bono legal services in Philadelphia, will hold its annual training event, Pro Bono Opportunities Day: Spotlight on Preventing Homelessness, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Whether a first-year associate new to the practice of law, an experienced practitioner new to pro bono, or a longtime pro bono attorney, all attorneys are invited to attend and learn how to use their legal experience to help those most in need in our community. Training sessions are available to lawyers from all practice areas and will focus on areas of law critical to keeping people in their homes. There will be training sessions on mortgage foreclosure, quiet title and public housing. Each attorney who attends the seminar and accepts a VIP case within six months of the training will earn two substantive CLE credits. The cost of the training is $45 per attendee with breakfast and educational materials provided. The registration form can be found at phillyvip.org. If you work at a firm with a VIP contact person, please register through that person. The deadline for registration is Monday, Oct. 19. Pro Bono Opportunities Day will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the offices of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP, 123 S. Broad St., 28th Floor. For more information, contact [email protected] or call (215) 523-9567 to register.
    York County: Pro Bono Open House, Oct. 26, 2009