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Pro Bono Frenzy ! ___________________________________________________________
New Name , Same Great CLEs .
KIER A . PRINCE City of Atlanta kier . prince @ gmail . com
A tlanta Bar CLE held its annual Pro Bono Frenzy ( formerly known as Pro Bono March Madness ) program in March 2023 . The program has a two-fold purpose which allows individuals to obtain CLE hours before the March 31 , 2023 deadline , while also allowing pro bono organizations the opportunity to train and recruit new volunteers for their programs .
Pro Bono Frenzy kicked off with “ Employment Law for Nonprofits ” hosted by Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta and the Atlanta Bar ’ s Labor & Employment Law Section . The seminar covered general employment laws that affect nonprofit organizations , specifically nonprofits who normally seek assistance from Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta in general matters such as guidance on proper compensation of employees and volunteers under the Fair Labor Standards Act ; the use of other types of workers in the nonprofit work environment , including independent contractors , volunteers , and interns ; and the creation or review of employee and volunteer handbooks .
In the second week , Georgia Appleseed presented a CLE on representing students in school disciplinary hearings and manifestation meetings . Those in attendance learned best practices for representing children in foster care in educational matters and how to provide additional support for students with disabilities . The Atlanta Legal Aid Society hosted a “ Handling Adoptions in Georgia ” CLE that prepared attendees for handling adoptions and other common family cases from start to finish through Atlanta Legal Aid ’ s Kinship Care Project .
The third week continued in grand fashion with Atlanta Legal Aid once again hosting a CLE on “ Hacking IEP Meetings .” The CLE covered special education law that governs the IEP process and helps to demystify the process . The Georgia Asylum & Immigration Network ( GAIN ) hosted a training on the legal remedies available to those seeking asylum in domestic violence situations , how to prepare and file petitions with USCIS , and how to work with potential clients in a victim-centered and culturally sensitive manner .
In the fourth week , the Bar hosted another two pro bono CLEs . Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta and the Atlanta Bar Tax Law Section presented a CLE that provided an overview of § 501 ( c )( 3 ) organizations , a detailed overview of the unrelated business taxable income rules , an explanation of when various alternate sources of income are taxable under these rules , and suggestions for ways to potentially avoid such tax . Atlanta Legal Aid closed out the week by hosting a training for gender-affirming name changes . Attendees learned how to file a legal name change for an adult , address special provisions for survivors of domestic violence , and legal requirements for changing a gender marker on Georgia identity documents and U . S . passports .
To close out the final week of Pro Bono Frenzy , the Bar featured three pro bono CLE ’ s . The Truancy Intervention Project hosted a CLE on how to effectively communicate with clients . Attendees were able to learn how effective communication with clients drives attitudes about opposing parties and opposing counsel , influences decisions regarding settlement and affects how clients perceive lawyers and the justice system in general . DeKalb Pro Bono provided training to all those wishing to serve as a Guardian ad Litem in contested custody cases . The training outlined the role of a Guardian ad Litem , reviewed the law and procedure for serving as a GAL , and explored the common and often complex issues Guardians face . On the final day , Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation ( AVLF ) provided a training that equipped attendees with the necessary tools and confidence to provide legal assistance and representation to survivors of intimate partner abuse and stalking in 12-Month Protective Order hearings .
We are thankful to all the participating organizations for their continued partnership .
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