CBA Sept.-Oct. 2020

Are You Ready to Report Your Annual Pro Bono Service?

This Fall, as Illinois lawyers receive their annual ARDC registration statements, they will once again be asked to report their pro bono service and financial contributions for the year. It’s never too late to take on a case or make a donation, and The Chicago Bar Foundation is here to help! Pro Bono Resources If youwant to volunteer, and aren’t sure how to get started, check out the CBF’s online pro bono opportunities guide (cbf.joinpaladin.com) to view pro bono opportunities sorted by area of law, time commitment, and geography. Lawyers can also use the online guide to identify remote-friendly pro bono opportunities that can be done from the comfort of their own home. Qualifying Financial Contributions under the Rule Pro bono service isn’t the only way to support your local pro bono and legal aid organizations. Financial support can be just as important an investment as donating your time. By supporting a qualifying program, you can help provide critical legal assistance to the most vulnerable members of our community and help these organizations develop the infrastructure necessary to support and train other pro bono attorneys. Lawyers canmake qualifying contributions under Rule 756(f ) to the CBF (chicagobarfoundation.org/donate), which supports over thirty pro bono and legal aid organizations serving the Chicago area, or by contributing directly to one of thesemany outstanding organizations. Check out illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/reporting-pro-bono- and-financial-contributions for a list of qualifying programs located in Cook County and throughout Illinois. Additional Questions about the Rule The CBF is here to help you with other questions about the Rule as well. Contact Samira Nazem, CBF Director of Pro Bono & Court Advocacy, at 312-554-8356 or snazem@chicagobarfoundation.org.

16 September/October 2020