Pro Bono and Volunteer Opportunities to Build a Stronger Community

By Jennifer S. Coatsworth 

With this issue of the magazine focusing on pro bono experiences from our colleagues, I wanted to emphasize the importance of legal professionals engaging in public service, whether that be through pro bono work or some other type of service. When attorneys dedicate time to pro bono or volunteer work, they can develop and broaden their skill sets in different areas of the law, make meaningful connections with clients, and gain practical experience.  

Lawyers can always find pro bono opportunities through a simple Google search. In fact, paprobono.net provides a comprehensive list of agencies regionally or nationally. You can also visit the Philadelphia Bar Association website to look at our directory of public service agencies, and also learn about the enriching pro bono experiences of your colleagues in our monthly “Pro Bono Spotlight” series in the Bar Reporter.  

Once you find an agency that fits your interests, you can reach out to their program manager or fill out an enrollment form through their website. Most times you can have your pick from a list of available cases. The cases are vetted for merit and prepped before being referred to a volunteer attorney. After you are assigned a case, you will receive training and support from the agency to help you best support the client. 

If you are not able to participate in pro bono work, there are plenty of opportunities to give back to your community and support those individuals who may not be financially equipped to receive legal services.  Serving on a nonprofit board or leadership council are also options for giving back. For example, there’s the Community Legal Services’ Leadership Council (on which I proudly serve), Legal Services Corporation Leaders Council, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and many more. The Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s award-winning Board Observer Program also provides young lawyers with the opportunity to volunteer and serve as an Observer on a nonprofit board of directors. Participants can gain leadership skills and strengthen their professional networks in ways that will help them succeed in their future careers. 

The Philadelphia Bar Association also offers numerous volunteer opportunities including, but not limited to: 

• John S. Bradway Philadelphia High School Mock Trial Competition: 

• This program offered each spring and run by Temple University Beasley School of Law and the Young Lawyers Division allows students to play the roles of lawyers and witnesses in a simplified mock trial. Approximately 30-40 public and parochial high school teams compete each year. Topics of previous programs have involved the suppression of evidence, hate crimes, constitutional issues, simple negligence matters and civil forfeitures in a criminal context. The teams compete in a round-robin tournament, with the champion representing Philadelphia at the state mock trial finals in Harrisburg. Winners of the state finals go on to represent Pennsylvania in the national finals. Volunteers are always needed to serve as judges for the preliminary rounds of the competition.  
   

• Law Week: 

  • This annual program offers a range of free community service events presented by volunteer lawyers and coordinated by the Association's Young Lawyers Division. Programs include Lawyers in the Classroom, which features lawyers visiting different Philadelphia schools throughout the week to address students' concerns about the law and the legal issues that affect them as they enter adulthood, as well as to answer questions about the legal profession and Goldilocks Trial, where lawyers act out characters from the children’s story in-person in a courtroom at City Hall. 

• LegalLine: 

  • Organized by the Young Lawyers Division, LegalLine involves volunteer attorneys providing legal advice to residents of the Philadelphia area and surrounding counties. LegalLine is held one evening each month and attorneys can participate remotely.  

• Mentoring and Professional Development Initiative: 

  • The Association has a mentoring program currently co-chaired by Jordan L. Strokovsky and Wendy C. Hess. Anyone interested in becoming a mentor can fill out a form on the Bar’s website.  

• The Amber Racine Annual Turkey Drive: 

  • The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc. has hosted its Annual Turkey Drive for approximately four decades. For almost 10 years, the Turkey Drive was organized and led by past presidents Amber Racine and Scott Reid. In Amber’s honor, the Barristers’ continue to feed hundreds of families. They can always use our assistance and contributions to support families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. 

In addition to what is listed above, I would also encourage members to reach out to affinity bar associations, community groups, and your firm leadership to see what additional volunteer opportunities are available. We have a unique responsibility as lawyers to help those in need, regardless of whether they can afford our services or not. I think it would be safe to say that this is why many of us pursued law as a career – to help people in need. As members of the Philadelphia Bar Association, we also need to uphold our commitment to promoting access to justice and serving the public interest. I’ll end my column with a quote from U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who said it best: 

“Lawyers have a license to practice law, a monopoly on certain services. But for that privilege and status, lawyers have an obligation to provide legal services to those without the wherewithal to pay, to respond to needs outside themselves, to help repair tears in their communities.” 

Jennifer S. Coatsworth is the 2024 Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. You can reach her at jcoatsworth@margolisedelstein.com.