About| About |
| Pro Bono Organization |
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| For the good of the people. | |
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Our Mission: The Pro Bono Project provides quality, caring representation to clients with limited means. Our volunteer attorneys make the courts and the protection of the laws accessible to the most vulnerable members of our community. Our History: What do you call 21 experienced attorneys willing to work for no pay? A good start. At least, that's what we call it at the Pro Bono Project. In 1986, with grants from the Legal Aid Society and the American Bar Association, a group of leading attorneys in Santa Clara County incorporated the Pro Bono Project. We bring together attorneys who want to volunteer their services and low-income clients who need legal advice and representation. In our first year, 21 volunteer attorneys provided 361 hours of service to 52 clients. During 2007, 296 volunteer attorneys and 66 law students provided over $3 million of free legal services to over 1776 low-income clients Among our earliest endeavors was a bankruptcy clinic. Today, the Pro Bono Project takes referrals in all areas of civil law including family, tort defense, immigration, housing, employment, and consumer law. Volunteer attorneys take cases, represent clients, and staff our office and clinics. Attorneys and law student volunteers coordinate clinics, research, write, and prepare administrative hearings, and help us recruit more volunteers. Our non-attorney volunteers coordinate activities and provide administration, bookkeeping, translation, and reception services. Our volunteers speak more than 21 different languages. Although our attorneys handle only cases in Santa Clara County, our clients may reside in any county. When a resident of Santa Clara County has a case in another county, we attempt to refer the client to a provider in the county where the case is being litigated. |
'Many clients and other agencies say that the Pro Bono Project is the clients' "last chance for any legal assistance."'
 "While I didn't know at the time that I would ever apply to be on the bench, I believe my volunteer work helped to strengthen my application for appointment to the bench." "My encouragement to other attorneys to take on Pro Bono cases would be that you get great experience, can help truly needy people change their lives, and if you do a good job, you get referrals for paying clients." |
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We are proud of what we have accomplished, and excited about our plans for the future. Under the guidance of our Board of Directors, our Executive Director, John Hedges and our dedicated staff are planning to expand the Pro Bono Project to meet the increasing need for legal services in Silicon Valley. Now, we need more attorneys willing to work pro bono! |
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