LRIS Benefits Community Needs
How Atlanta Bar ’ s Lawyer Referral and Information Service is good for business and good for the community .
JOHN D . HADDEN The Hadden Law Firm jhadden @ haddenfirm . com
In late 2007 , I took a leap of faith and started my own law firm . A friend suggested that I join the Atlanta Bar ’ s referral service . I did , and the Atlanta Bar Lawyer Referral and Information Service ( LRIS ), to use its formal name , turned out to be one of the foundations of my fledgling firm .
Over the years , I have gotten many calls through LRIS from prospective clients . I have had to tell some that , unfortunately , I simply cannot help them ( and recommended that they call for a second referral in many cases ), but I have also been able to accept many cases that have resulted in great outcomes for the clients , benefitting both them and my firm . In many cases , these individuals knew no lawyers and may well not have been able to seek legal assistance if not for the LRIS .
Even during the Atlanta Bar ’ s 2020-2021 fiscal year that was dominated by COVID-19 , the LRIS received nearly 50,000 calls , down only slightly from the 2019-2020 year . Since member attorneys remit a small percentage of their fees to the LRIS , the organization can support numerous local charitable legal programs . From 2009 , the LRIS , in collaboration with the Atlanta Bar Foundation , has contributed almost $ 1.4 million through the Grants Program , which supports groups such as the Atlanta Bar Minority and Diversity Clerkship Program , Atlanta Bar Summer Law Intern Program , Atlanta Legal Aid Society , Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation , Truancy Intervention Project , Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice , Georgia Innocence Project , Georgia Justice Project , Gideon ’ s Promise , Latin American Association , Lawyers for Equal Justice , Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta , Southern Poverty Law Center , and others . This year , the LRIS will contribute more than $ 195,000 to the Grants Program , the second largest contribution since the LRIS was founded .
For the past year and a half , I have served on the LRIS Board of Trustees and seen the behind-the-scenes efforts of LRIS leadership and staff to ensure that the program is run smoothly and efficiently . Given the significant volume of calls and internet contacts coming in every day , however , we always welcome new members to the LRIS attorney panel . Cases are pre-screened by LRIS staff and relayed to member attorneys nearly immediately . The cost of the program is very modest – $ 125 per year for Atlanta Bar members , plus 15 % of fees obtained over $ 500 and a $ 45 consultation fee charged to clients for certain types of cases – less than the monthly cost of many commercial marketing programs . I can say first-hand that it is a program that benefits our members , prospective clients , and area non-profits . For anyone looking to establish or grow their practice and not already an LRIS member , I encourage you to consider joining . Not only is it a source of business , but it also helps strengthen our legal community .
30 September / October 2021