Montana Lawyer June/July 2024

Build a Support System

your file and close the case internally. You can always communicate to the cli ent to reach out again for consideration in the future, but to protect your own time and resources, and for risk man agement purposes, communicate the end of your engagement consistent with the terms of your engagement letter. There is extraordinary need for the provision of pro bono services in Montana. While there is no guarantee that any pro bono experience will have any specific impact on you, a good pro bono experience will sustain you for the next endeavor. A pro bono policy is a benefit in almost all practice envi ronments: small firms to large firms, corporate and in-house counsel, as well as the public sector. A clear pro bono policy will create a pathway to integrat ing a positive pro bono practice along your professional road.

tasks and gather as much informa tion about the parties and cases before engaging. Properly vetting prospective clients will help you provide realistic expectations of the process and fully vet your ability or inability to help the client pro bono. Define the Scope Early Defining the scope of services with a well-crafted engagement agreement and a clear statement about when the engagement will end starts the process of developing professional rapport with prospective clients and protects your time. This is an important part of risk management. Having a clear scope also assists in flagging for attorneys when a mentor might be needed to help with the representation or to share the work. A clear scope makes the expectations and commitment clear both to the attorney and to the client and can eliminate potential is sues down the road.

Accessing mentors when taking on pro bono matters will help you make the most of your time. Consider whether to bring on co-counsel to provide support when your billable practice demands interfere. Engage community partners to provide the client the community support needed to persevere through the process. The community partners will be there to take up the laboring oar well after your case is closed. In many situations, the resources the client needs are avail able through non-legal community partners, and helping to connect those resources may prevent the clients need for legal representation in the future. Be Prompt in Closing a Pro Bono Case Closing cases as soon as the scope of work has been completed is a very important step in the process. Communicate the completion of your representation with both the client and court. Make any final notes to

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