On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003, fifty-five pro bono
participants and legal services staff members gathered for a free lunch at the
Dauphin County Bar Association (DCBA). This was a celebration of pro bono
attorneys in Dauphin County using the �Family Feud� game show format (remember, �And, the survey says��) to
review attorney survey results.�
In March 2003, the DCBA mailed the survey to all of its
1,400 members. Volunteer law students and program interns compiled and analyzed
the results. The survey explored the reasons the Dauphin County program is so
successful and requested feedback on ways to improve in the future.� (See results below.)
The team captains were:
�
Blue Team: Rhodia Thomas, a Widener
Law School graduate and newly appointed executive director of the 18-county
MidPenn Legal Services; and
�
Red Team: Jim DeAngelo, a Dickinson Law
School graduate, partner at McNees Wallace & Nurrrick, and chair of the PBA
Equal Justice for the Poor Committee and the DCBA public services committee.
The Red Team included:
�
Robert
J. Bein, a Dickinson Law School
graduate, partner at Duane Morris LLP, chair of the DCBA Bankruptcy Law
Section and founder of the new pro bono bankruptcy project;
�
Sally Heffelfinger, MidPenn Legal Services client intake
specialist;
�
Patricia
Carey Zucker, a Dickinson Law
School graduate, partner at Daley Law Offices and DCBA president-elect;
and
�
Stephen
R. Krone, a Dickinson Law
School graduate, MidPenn Legal Services staff attorney.
The Blue Team included:
�
�Mark
T. Silliker, a University of Baltimore Law School graduate, partner at Silliker &
Reinhold, founder of the Pro Se
Custody Clinics and Dauphin County court custody conciliator;
�
Peggy Bayliff, MidPenn
Legal Services client intake specialist;
�
Margaret
Simok, MidPenn Legal Services staff attorney; and
�
Joseph
A. Curcillo III, a Temple Law
School graduate, partner at Beinhaur & Curcillo and DCBA
vice-president.
DCBA Public Services Coordinator Sandy Ballard hosted
the show. David Keller Trevaskis, PBA pro bono coordinator, served as
scorekeeper. Dayna Mancuso, DCBA Public Services volunteer staff attorney, ran
the answer board. The audience was treated to a free lunch underwritten by the
Dauphin County Bar Foundation.� The DCBA offers these free
lunches � or rap sessions � for pro bono participants twice a year. The DCBA
also offers pro bono participants a free breakfast CLE twice a year. Audience
members were given the chance to win boxes of chocolate, which were donated by
Hershey Foods, by offering suggestions to improve the pro bono program. Copies
of the DCBA Pro Bono Program Handbook also were available for audience
members.
Family
Feud
Pro Bono Style
Below are the top answers to the survey
questions.
1. ��What Is The BEST Part About Doing Your Pro Bono Work?
1. Helping
those in need
2. Personal
satisfaction
3. Professional/Social
Responsibility
4. Successful
Result
5. Opportunity
to Do Work in Another Legal Area
6. Appreciative
Clients
2. What
Is The WORST Part?
1. Client
Lack of Follow-Through/No-Shows
2. Clients
who are Unreasonable or Uncooperative
3. Ungrateful
Clients
4. Attorney�s
Competency to Handle Area of Law
5. Billable
Hours Pressure/Time Required
6. Unnecessary
Representations/ Can�t Help
7. Poor
Records
3. Why
Don�t You Participate In the DCBA Pro Bono Program?
1. Does
Pro Bono Work Through Other Avenues
2. Type
Of Employment Limits
3. Not
Actively Practicing Law
4. No
One Asked Me
5. Bad
Prior Experience
4. How
Can We Make It Easier For You To Take Pro
Bono Cases?
1. Limit
Assignments To Attorneys� Areas Of Law (& Geographic Area)
2. Fine
As Is
3. More
Flexibility in Scheduling
4. More
Screening for Merit & Income
5. Handle
only One Custody Case Per Year
6. Educate
Clients As to Their Responsibilities
5.�� How can we improve our pro-bono program?
1.�� Use attorney�s areas of Expertise
2.�� Clarify Expectations of Attorneys and Clients
3.�� Offer More Training (especially in Family
Law)
4.����� Encourage more Follow-up (By Attorney,
Client and Staff)
5.�� Screen matters more closely and obtain more
legal papers.