MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CONNECTICUT PRO BONO NETWORK
How does a client’s case get referred to a network volunteer?
Potential clients contact the local legal services office with their legal
problems. The client goes through an initial screening which determines
financial eligibility (clients cannot have an income greater than 125% of
poverty level or $27,563 annually for a family of four) and the merit of the
case. After the initial screening, if the client is eligible for referral, the
legal services agency will contact a pro bono attorney.
When I register to be a network volunteer, am I obliged to take cases?
We ask all volunteers to take one civil case per year. The needs are great
and there are always more cases than available pro bono attorneys. However, you
are not under obligation to say "yes" when you receive a call from one of our
agencies if your workload is particularly heavy or the timing is just not right
for you.
I do a lot of pro bono work in my practice. Does this mean I have fulfilled my network obligation?
The CBA commends this work and encourages all attorneys to perform public service in their communities. However, you have only fulfilled your obligation through our program if you are formally registered as a volunteer and accept pro bono cases through one of the agencies in our network. These agencies are: Statewide Legal Services; Connecticut Legal Services; Greater Hartford Legal Aid; New Haven Legal Assistance Association; AIDS Legal Network; Lawyers for Children America; CT Lawyers’ Legal Aid to the Elderly; CT Fair Housing Center; The International Institute of Connecticut; Pro Bono Partnership; Lawyers Without Borders; VITA and LITC Tax Programs, the Truancy Intervention Project; and the probate or bankruptcy courts.
I don’t have malpractice insurance. Can I still serve as a pro bono volunteer?
Attorneys who have their own malpractice insurance, either independently or
through their firms, are generally covered for all legal services they provide,
whether on a fee-based or pro bono basis. Consult your individual policy if you
are unsure about the extent of your coverage.
Any attorney who does not have malpractice insurance is covered by a special
endorsement on the lawyer’s personal liability policy of the legal services
office through which he/she accepts a pro bono case. That endorsement covers any
complaint which arises from a lawyer’s handling of the case within the statute
of limitations. In order for a lawyer to be covered by the malpractice insurance
of a legal services office, he/she must accept the case through a legal services
referral. Attorneys who volunteer to serve as mentors or at the family law
walk-in clinics or any other network-sponsored project are covered under the
same malpractice insurance policy.
What kind of technical support can a volunteer expect?
Volunteers are offered a variety of support services to make their pro bono
experience as hassle-free as possible. Since many of our volunteers are
accepting cases in areas of law unfamiliar to them, our program offers free
training seminars in many areas of law, including family, housing, social
security, bankruptcy, immigration and consumer law.
If you are looking for a consultation about a pro bono case, you should first
call the legal services agency from which you accepted the case. Either the
referring attorney or another staff attorney will help you. We encourage you to
request an attorney mentor if you feel that will help. Statewide Legal Services
maintains a database of attorney mentors and can make arrangements for this
valuable assistance.
I signed up with the Connecticut Pro Bono Network program last year. Do I need to renew my commitment and fill out a registration form every year?
No, you do not need to fill out a registration form every year. Your name remains in our database until you
indicate you no longer wish to donate your legal services. Please call the CBA
at (860)223-4400 if you have any information to update or change.
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