The Pro Bono Project and Catholic Charities of New Orleans are pleased to present a free three-hour CLE (including one hour of Ethics credit) entitled “Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Representing Immigrant Children.” This program will be held at Irwin Fritchie, 400 Poydras Street, 27th Floor.

This CLE will provide practical skills training and ethical guidance for attorneys interested in representing children in immigration proceedings. This program is designed for attorneys who are new to Immigration law; no past experience is expected or required.

Attendees will learn the steps of the SIJS process, which includes state and federal filings, will have the opportunity to ask questions of seasoned Immigration practitioners and past volunteers, and will hear live testimonials from former clients about the life-changing impact of their cases.

We strongly encourage attendees of this free CLE to take on one SIJS case (may be shared with another attorney) at the conclusion of the training. Catholic Charities will provide ongoing mentorship and support to these pro bono volunteers, including 1:1 guidance, forms, and translation services, if needed.

Every year, The Pro Bono Project honors lawyers, law firms, students, businesses, and members of the judiciary who have provided, improved, and excelled in supporting our delivery of legal services. These services are of critical importance to the increasing number of people in our area. We host our annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon to show our deep appreciation for those who support our mission to improve access to justice in our community.

A free professionalism CLE will precede this luncheon.

The Pro Bono Project is thrilled to host the 35th Annual Justice For All Ball on Friday, September 22, 2023 at the historic Orpheum Theater. Your support of the Justice For All Ball is support for The Pro Bono Project and its clients. For every ticket purchased, sponsorship pledged, and silent auction bid on, the proceeds fund our mission to provide free civil legal aid to help under-served families, seniors, and children in need. For information on this year’s event, please contact The Pro Bono Project at 504.581.4043 x 201 or email us

We are pleased to announce that the Young Lawyers Section of the New Orleans Bar Association will host the NOBA Cornhole Classic, benefitting The Pro Bono Project on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Tchoup Yard. Teams from area law firms and judicial chambers are invited to compete in a bracket-style cornhole tournament to see who will be crowned the Cornhole Classic Champion. It’ll be a TOSS up!

Please visit https://www.neworleansbar.org/?pg=other-programs to register.

The Pro Bono Project and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services are pleased to offer a free, in-person 3-hour CLE designed to help attorneys become Veterans Affairs (VA) accredited. 

Jennifer Webre, Staff Attorney, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, will lead a practical skills-focused training that will teach attendees how to represent Veterans who are seeking a discharge upgrade.

Free event! Get questions answered about successions, heirs' property, estate planning, benefits, and more! May 20th from 9-1 at #UWSELA Prosperity Center, 2401 Canal St, New Orleans. Bring a friend!

The Tenant Security Deposit Recovery CLE will provide attorneys working with clients on a pro bono basis with an overview of substantive law and procedure related to tenant security deposit recovery in Louisiana. In addition to an overview of law and procedure, participants will be taken through the life of a typical security deposit case and provided with real-life scenarios and practice tips. The training will be conclude an interactive exercise that will allows participants to leave the training ready to assist clients in drafting initial demands, the place where most security deposits begin.

Speaker: Zachary O. Simmons, Esq., Staff Attorney, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

It's GiveNOLA Day!

Join us for 24 hours of giving to benefit our regional nonprofits and make a difference.

GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously to nonprofits making our region stronger, creating a thriving community for all. Donate today!

Join The Pro Bono Project for this one hour CLE on April 26th at 12 noon at Adams and Reese. This program will explore volunteering at the Council on Aging legal clinics in Jefferson and St. Bernard Parishes.

Every year, The Pro Bono Project honors lawyers, law firms, students, businesses, and members of the judiciary who have provided, improved, and excelled in the delivery of legal services.

These services are of critical importance to the increasing number of people in our area. We host our annual Volunteer Appreciations Event to show our deep appreciation for those who support our mission to improve access to justice in our community.

This year's ceremony will be held on November 29th at 12 noon at Jones Walker. A free panel discussion and professionalism CLE will precede the lunch and awards at 11 a.m.

We wish to thank all our volunteers for their time, talent, and resources.

This one-hour free professionalism CLE is devoted to examining pro bono obligations with an emphasis on ensuring access to justice for under-served and under-represented populations.

• A detailed examination of poverty statistics, the availability of legal services, and the need for pro bono programs will be discussed.

• Common issues that arise when representing indigent clients will be explored with reference to communication styles and eliminating implicit bias

• Current trends in pro bono along with technology and its role in access to justice will be presented.

Speakers: Hon. Scott Schlegel, 24th Judicial District Court and Rachael Mills, Louisiana State Bar Association

The Pro Bono Project and Catholic Charities of New Orleans are pleased to present a free three-hour CLE (including one hour of Ethics credit) entitled “Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Representing Immigrant Children.” This program will be held at Phelps Dunbar, 365 Canal Street, Ste. 2000, New Orleans. A zoom option is available for attendees who prefer to attend virtually.

This CLE will provide practical skills training and ethical guidance for attorneys interested in representing children in immigration proceedings. This program is designed for attorneys who are new to Immigration law; no past experience is expected or required.

Attendees will learn the steps of the SIJS process, which includes state and federal filings, will have the opportunity to ask questions of seasoned Immigration practitioners and past volunteers, and will hear live testimonials from former clients about the life-changing impact of their cases.

We strongly encourage attendees of this free CLE to take on one SIJS case (may be shared with another attorney) at the conclusion of the training. Catholic Charities will provide ongoing mentorship and support to these pro bono volunteers, including 1:1 guidance, forms, and translation services, if needed.

If you are attending virtually, please provide your bar number in advance to Erica Williams (ewilliams@probono-no.org) to ensure that you receive credit for attendance.

We strive to host fully inclusive events. If you require ADA accommodations to participate in this webinar, please contact Kathryn Lafrentz at klafrentz@probono-no.org or 504-581-4043 so that we may coordinate reasonable accommodations for you.

The American Bar Association is hosting a free webinar on the “Practical Considerations When Providing Pro Bono Representation” on Friday, October 28th at 12 noon. The panel features The Pro Bono Project’s Director of Legal Services, Kathryn Lafrentz.

As part of our National Celebration of Pro Bono week, we will host a wrap-up meeting and luncheon honoring our volunteers on Wednesday, October 26th at 12 noon at Baker Donelson.

The purpose of the CLE is to recruit and train volunteers to represent undocumented people who have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisiana prisons. Civil rights advocates have documented egregious abuse of immigrants imprisoned in these facilities, including abusive use of solitary confinement that amounts to torture.

To register, please click here.

Participants will learn the various mechanisms for requesting release – Fraihat requests, parole requests, and requests pursuant to new ICE enforcement priorities - and will learn how to prepare and file a request for release.

The Pro Bono Project is starting the National Celebration of Pro Bono a day early. The Young Lawyers Section of the New Orleans Bar Association will participate in The Pro Bono Project’s Family Law and Estate Planning Legal Workshop on Saturday, October 22nd. Volunteers will be present to work with our divorce, succession, will, and power of attorney clients.

We are thrilled to announce the 34th Annual Justice For All Ball will be held on Friday, September 23rd at Mardi Gras World’s Grand Oaks Mansion.

Mark your calendar! After COVID cancelled this event in both 2020 and 2021, the 2022 JFAB promises to be a celebration of our community’s commitment to service and reconnecting with our friends and colleagues. We are honored to have Boysie Bollinger serve as our Honorary Chair this year. We are also excited for the opportunity to gather together once again for an evening of fine food, spirits, and music wherein we celebrate The Project’s mission.

For information on sponsorships and tickets, please contact us today.

Join The Pro Bono Project on Friday, July 22 for our free annual 6.5 hour CLE (1 hour of Professionalism) seminar for children's attorneys. Topics this year will include the Indian Child Welfare Act and working with immigrant children.

This Bankruptcy CLE will provide attorneys who are new to the practice of bankruptcy with an overview of Chapter 7.

To register, click here.

The Young Lawyers Section of the New Orleans Bar Association will host the 2022 Pro-Bowl-O Tournament on Thursday, June 2, 2022. The Pro-Bowl-O Tournament is a fundraiser that supports the work of The Pro Bono Project and its efforts to provide free, quality legal services to the residents in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, and Washington Parishes.

The event will be at Rock'n'Bowl on June 2, 2022 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Those interested in supporting the cause can purchase a team of six, or individual tickets if you prefer to just mix and mingle! Both include access to food, the open bar, game room, and lounge areas. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Tuesday, May 3rd is GiveNOLA Day! Join us in supporting The Pro Bono Project at https://www.givenola.org/pro-bono-project as part of your GiveNOLA Day! You can learn more about the work of The Project at http://probono-no.org.

Heal NOLA Fest is being held on Saturday, March 26th from 12pm to 3pm at The Sixth Baptist Church (928 Felicity Street). The Pro Bono Project will be there to assist with legal information. Sponsored by Dillard University, there will be free food, medical screening, and other social services.

Want to learn how you can help immigrant children in need? The Pro Bono Project is proud to partner with Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans to offer this free, virtual 3-hour CLE seminar, including one hour of Ethics.

Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification provides immigrant children who have been subject to state juvenile court proceedings related to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or a similar basis under state law the ability to seek lawful permanent residence in the United States.

While attendance is free, we ask that participants agree to accept representation in a pro bono special immigrant juvenile status case -- we will circulate a case list at the training.

If you are new to immigration law, don’t worry – we can connect you with a case and all the support you may need. This is a great way to gain experience while helping some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Home is Here and The Pro Bono Project are proud to present this free two-hour CLE as an introduction to immigration practice. This program includes a diverse panel of presenters with expertise from the fields of law, interpretation, and clinical social work. Presenters from the private bar, TNOLA interpretation, and Catholic Charities will discuss:

- Ethics (1 hr): Confidentiality, Zealous Advocacy, Truth before the Tribunal

- Professionalism (1 hr): Cross-Cultural Communication and Working With Interpreters (30 mins) and Trauma-Informed Practice (30 mins).

Attendees will be encouraged to accept representation of an asylum case through Home is Here after completion of Part 2 in January 2022.

A Zoom link will be emailed to registered attendees two days prior to the program.

To register, click here.

Giving Tuesday -
November 30, 2021

A financial donation is not the only way to give this Giving Tuesday. Consider donating your time and legal knowledge by volunteering with The Pro Bono Project.