Y L D P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E A l e x a n d r a P a l e r m o – S y n i v e r s e T e c h n o l o g i e s
whatAreYougratefulfor ?
“ gratitudeturnswhatwehaveintoenough .” — Aesop
My four-year-old daughter loves running around the house singing , “ What are you grateful for ?” I wish I could take credit , but this is all her incredible school that encourages respect , kindness , and giving to others . These are such simple concepts for kids . But as adults with jobs , pets , kids , bills , and more , we get busy , and then making time to give to others falls lower on our priority lists .
But this is the perfect time of year to reflect on all of the things we are grateful for . It is also a time we as attorneys can come together to give back to our community through pro bono services . According to Rule 6.1 of the American Bar Association ’ s Model Rules of Professional Conduct , “ a lawyer should aspire to render at least fifty ( 50 ) hours of pro bono publico legal services per year .” Thankfully , thousands of lawyers meet this challenge every year . But the need for pro bono legal services still far outweighs the amount of hours
contributed . Study after study shows that low-income Americans struggle to obtain quality representation in the costly legal system . Invaluable not-for-profit agencies and legal services providers work tirelessly to assist as many as possible , but the need is still greater .
As a young lawyer , I saw first-hand how gaining courtroom experience is becoming increasingly more and more difficult . Litigation is expensive , so clients often settle or seek alternative forms of dispute resolution . By taking on pro bono matters , young lawyers can provide a lifeline to low-income clients while also gaining valuable experience . If you want to depose someone , handle a mediation for a client , argue dispositive motions , or even argue at trial , one of the best ways to secure the experiences is through pro bono work .
There are many ways to volunteer your time — whether it is assisting pro se family law litigants with
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