2021 Pro Bono March Madness
Our Virtual Pro Bono March Madness Provides Opportunities for Lawyers to Gain CLE Credit .
KIER PRINCE , ESQ . Emory Law Volunteer Clinic for Veterans Kier . prince @ gmail . com
Each year Pro Bono March Madness provides an opportunity for Atlanta Bar members and other attorneys to partner with nonprofit organizations to provide legal assistance and representation to qualifying clients . Attorneys will have gained the knowledge and proper training to help administer services to low-income clients in a variety of areas including domestic violence , immigration , employment law , bankruptcy , eviction issues , and so much more .
WEEK ONE : MARCH 1 – 5 , 2021 Atlanta ’ s Eviction Problem Ayanna Jones-Lightsy and Pierce Hand ( Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation ) explained Atlanta ’ s eviction process , problems with the eviction process , and the consequences evictions have on tenants .
WEEK TWO : MARCH 8 – 12 , 2021 Gender-Affirming Names and Birth Certificate Changes : The Basics The Atlanta Legal Aid ’ s Pro Bono Unit hosted a seminar that covered topics such as how to file a legal name change ; domestic violence survivors ; and the legal requirements for changing a gender marker .
Unaccompanied Immigrant Children – How You Can Help ? Kids in Need of Defense hosted a seminar on representing unaccompanied immigrant children who face the possibility of deportation , and taught participants how to assist .
Open Records Law as Tools of Investigation Gerry Weber ( Southern Center for Human Rights ) provided a tour of Georgia ’ s Open Records Law allowing participants to have better understanding of how to obtain access to public records held by government agencies .
WEEK THREE : MARCH 15 – 19 , 2021 Estate Planning for Low Income Clients John Warchol and Cari King ( Atlanta Legal Aid Society ) is currently hosting a wills and advance directive seminar for volunteer attorneys who wish to prepare simple Georgia wills and advance directives for low-income clients .
Employment Law for Nonprofits The Labor and Employment Law Section , in conjunction with the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta ( PBPA ) will host a “ nuts and bolts ” employment law seminar on Wednesday , March 17 , 2021 . Lori J . Shapiro , Robert M . Lewis , and Craig S . Friedman will cover everything from general employment laws affecting nonprofits to other types of workers in the nonprofit work environment .
Advocating for the Truant Child On Thursday , March 18 , 2021 , the Georgia Truancy Intervention Project will host a seminar for volunteer attorneys and non-attorney partners who wish to assist minors facing a referral to the juvenile court system for excessive absences from school . This program seeks to intervene before students and their parents are referred to the juvenile court system for truancy .
Understanding Georgia ’ s Criminal Record Clearing Laws for Pro Bono Lawyers Erin Donohue-Koehler and Molly Scott ( Georgia Justice Project ) will host a seminar on Friday , March 19 , 2021 to teach lawyers and other professional the basics of criminal records law in Georgia . This seminar will cover everything from how to read a criminal record to what types of relief may be available for those with a criminal record .
WEEK FOUR : MARCH 22 – 26 , 2021 Representing Immigrant Asylum Seekers Serene Hawasli Kashlan and Lynn Pearson ( Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network ) will kick off the fourth week of Pro Bono March Madness on Monday , March 22 , 2021 by hosting a seminar on asylum applications . This seminar will provide attorneys with an introduction to the organization as well as the basics of an asylum application .
Relative and Nonrelative Adoptions On Tuesday , March 23 , 2021 , Lori Anderson ( Atlanta Legal Aid Society ) will host a seminar covering the updated 2018 adoption code . Attendees will learn about relative adoptions under the new code .
Parole Advocacy for Volunteer Attorneys On Wednesday , March 24 , 2021 , Amith Gupta ( Georgia Re-Entry Project ) will present on the Georgia parole statute as well as discuss how to provide holistic representation for incarcerated individuals .
32 February / March 2021