We are proud to mark our second year managing the Self-Help Resource Center (SHRC) at Orleans Parish Civil District Court. With over 2,000 visitors in 2018, the SHRC is a model for collaboration and community partnerships.
Read MoreThe 2018 Agenda: Collaboration At The Heart of Pro Bono Legal Services
It takes many hands to open doors to access civil justice for those in need. The strong partnership between The Pro Bono Project, its staff and hundreds of volunteer lawyers, paralegals, law students, and other professional and lay volunteers is the just the beginning.
Only through collaboration with our partners in the Access to Justice community can the mission of The Project ultimately come to life. As we move forward in 2018, collaboration is at the heart of our agenda, just as it is at the heart of serving our pro bono clients.
Read MoreThe Next Generation of Access To Justice Leaders
The Pro Bono Project recently hosted two interns as part of the inaugural year of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Access to Justice Developing Leadership Intern Program. This program is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana District Judges Association, Louisiana Bar Foundation, civil legal aid providers, law schools, the Louisiana State Bar Association, and four law firms: Adams and Reese and Phelps Dunbar supported two New Orleans-based interns; and Baker Donelson and Jones Walker sponsored two interns in Baton Rouge.
Read MoreClosing the Healthcare Gap: Medical-Legal Partnership Opens a New Door
Healthcare in the United States has been a major issue for the past several decades. Regardless of whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, working or retired – the cost of healthcare has escalated exponentially in the past 30 years.
In 2013, the year before the Affordable Care Act began, more than 42 million citizens were uninsured – that’s about 13% of the population. Since then, reports show that number has dropped by approximately 16.5 million people.
But what about the 25.5 million Americans that still don’t have health insurance? Many are uninsured because they still can’t afford it, are ineligible in some way or have completely opted out of the health insurance marketplace.
In most cases, these folks are using community health centers that provide basic care and offer services beyond those of pharmacy-run “minute clinics.” Most community health centers serve both the insured and uninsured. This setting has revealed the tremendous gap in healthcare delivery, which often requires a legal solution to fill.
Read MoreApplause For Our Volunteers
The house was full on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 for The Project's annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards and Reception at Jones Walker, which followed the year-end Professionalism CLE, "Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Discovery." (See related story: CLE)
Thanks to all who turned out to applaud their colleagues for their tremendous efforts in 2015, which saw more than 2,200 people helped in just over 1,400 cases handled by our volunteers.
Read MoreVolunteers On Parade ...
Even though we have a small staff - only 7 of us - we get a lot done thanks to our volunteers. Over the past several weeks, the office was filled with lawyers, students and a host of people who give their time, skills and energy to The Project in a number of different ways.
Read MoreStudent Volunteers Come From The Midwest & Local Law Schools ...
See who's been opening doors and getting some great experience at The Project from law schools in the Midwest and locally.
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