Pro Bono Net News Article

(Click link below for full article written by Liz Keith of Pro Bono Net)

Participating Firms

Mississippi Collaboration Expands Pro Bono Resources

One of the concerns commonly expressed by attorneys asked to do pro bono work in the areas of law that confront the poor is, "My expertise is in a different area. Where do I start?"

Responding to this concern just got easier in Mississippi, thanks to a far-reaching collaborative effort by 13 local law firms, in partnership with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP), the Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ), North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, the Mississippi Center for Legal Services and Pro Bono Net. Together, they have produced a comprehensive volunteer attorney practice manual, now available on www.probono.net/MS, Mississippi's statewide advocate and pro bono support website. The manual is a key element of a larger effort to recruit and support more volunteer lawyers from the private sector in Mississippi.

With only about 30 Legal Services attorneys to cover all 82 counties in the state, pro bono involvement is an integral part of the service delivery system in Mississippi. The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, a joint venture between the Mississippi Bar and the two LSC-funded legal services programs in the state, assists more than 5,000 low income citizens each year. Numerous Mississippi attorneys volunteer their time and expertise with MVLP, yet more are needed to help meet the basic legal needs of the one in five Mississippians who live below the poverty level.
 
As MVLP Executive Director Shirley Williams explains, "Given the dire need for pro bono legal assistance in Mississippi, we needed a way to reach more lawyers and make it easier for them to feel comfortable accepting cases outside of their general practice."

http://www.news.probono.net/e_article000880269.cfm?x=b11,b3hMB0Wb,w