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Question: Hi, we are a very new nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide free, timely access to legal aid and representation to people with disabilities. We are all disabled ourselves and have been in situations where we were not able to access this, and know of countless other instances where this is the reality. I am the Board President and the one who is sort of trying to keep things going, but we need so much, with the website being filled out, and funds. We had created a business plan, but the biggest hang up we are encountering is that to go through the state bar pro bono program, we have to have someone who is either a volunteer or staff as the chief legal counsel, who will provide supervision to the attorneys offering services pro bono, and liability insurance. We will be offering services for free, and are not sure how to navigate this - do we need to pay someone, to fill this role? So, essentially we are stuck and could really use advice to move forward. Thank you!

Answer:

Dear Joey,
Thanks so much for your question. I am so glad to hear about the work you are doing in providing legal aid to people with disabilities. It is so moving how your own experiences have fueled your passion. I can imagine finding chief legal counsel is difficult. We do have some resources that address your concerns: /en/table-of-contents/finances/managing-finances/nonpr...

I think of most interest in the above resource is one of the last sections entitled: A Last Word on Getting Help. I hope this resource helps connect you to some potential pro-bono options for chief counsel.
in Community,
Heather Lewis Quagliana, PhD
Ask An Advisor Fall 2021

Question Date: Tue, 10/05/2021