by Jamie Maclaren

In the summer of 2005, Pro Bono Law of B.C. (PBLBC) conducted a survey of the profession to determine how the provision of pro bono legal services could be made easier. The survey respondents offered three major suggestions: 1) establish a system whereby requests for pro bono assistance are screened for legal merit; 2) provide comprehensive insurance coverage so that all lawyers – whether full-time, part-time, in-house, retired or non-practising – may provide pro bono services; and 3) provide disbursement coverage so that law firms and lawyers need not donate money in addition to time.

PBLBC then went about the business of making those suggestions real. Having identified a glaring need for organized pro bono representation, PBLBC developed a set of roster programs providing accessible and area-specific pro bono legal services to individuals and non-profit organizations of limited means. The particular roster programs – the Family Law Program, the Federal Court of Appeal Program, the Judicial Review Program and the Solicitors’ Program – function by supplementing the good work of lawyers, advocates, the Legal Services Society and legal advice programs operated by the Salvation Army of British Columbia, the Western Canada Society to Access Justice and others.

Pre-Screened Pro Bono Opportunities
For each of the roster programs, PBLBC maintains a roster of lawyers who are prepared to consider pro bono opportunities within their geographical region and their areas of practice expertise. PBLBC receives screened client referrals from lawyers, advocates and front-line pro bono organizations, and then presents those referred opportunities to each roster lawyer according to his or her location, stated interest and capacity. Each pro bono request is screened for legal merit. Roster lawyers choose how and when they are able to provide pro bono assistance – from basic help on single, discrete issues to full-service representation.

Insurance Coverage
Through the Lawyers Insurance Fund, PBLBC also provides full insurance coverage with waived deductibles and surcharges to members in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia. Thus, in-house counsel, government counsel, retired and non-practicing lawyers receive insurance coverage for pro bono services rendered though the roster programs.

Disbursement Coverage
In December 2005, the Law Foundation of British Columbia announced a two-year grant to PBLBC to cover disbursements incurred in pro bono cases relating to poverty law issues. PBLBC manages the disbursement fund according to similar guidelines as those previously established by the Legal Services Society in managing pro bono tariffs. Consult the PBLBC website at www.probononet.bc.ca/disbursements for further details.

With these new developments, providing pro bono assistance and representation is easier, less costly and less risky than before. PBLBC is now looking to expand its roster programs to cover further areas of law. If you would like to volunteer for one or more of the roster programs, or if you seek insurance and disbursement coverage for a pro bono case that likely fits within the roster programs, please contact PBLBC at 604-893-8932 or register at www.probononet.bc.ca.

Jamie Maclaren, Executive Director, Pro Bono Law of B.C.

This article was published in the February 2006 issue of BarTalk. © 2006 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.