Shapero observed.
“During the Carter
administration, there was better money for
the Legal Services Corporation, and it was
pretty unrestricted.” Today, by contrast,
Shapero says that the funding sources—
and there are fewer--are asking for more
legal specialties. “It’s hard to do a general
poverty law practice.”
One good change, though, was
the adoption of Vermont’s Pro Bono Emeri-
tus licensing rule. “I just got my pro bono
emeritus card,” Shapero said with a smile.
“I was excited about that. I am part of the
baby boomers—a whole group of people
who really want to do something to help.”
The Pro Bono Emeritus rule allows at-
torneys to practice solely pro bono work
with a limited license. The license fee is
reduced to $75 for two years, and only 8
hours of MCLE credits are required, com-
pared with the usual 20 hours. This special
license makes post-retirement pro bono
work affordable.
Lila Shapero will continue to practice pro
bono law because “the need is everywhere
in the state, ” she said. “ I think domes-
tic relations is a big area. Family court is
friendly to pro ses, but people are in crisis
so it’s very hard for them to be dispassion-
ate about their future needs.”
Shapero also sees a great need for legal
work around housing issues. “Rent escrow
clinics and the unbundling rule are great—
they help level the playing field and are a
great way to resolve disputes.”
There is no end of legal pro bono work
that the next generation of lawyers can do.
“It’s a way to give back to your community..
“ said Shapero.
Her parting advice: “Give back. Simply
that: give back.”
are quite complex. In October of 2016,
Lila shared her knowledge by playing a sig-
nificant role in organizing and presenting at
the VBA’s Pro Bono Conference, bringing
refugee pro bono opportunities to a new
audience of volunteers.
Lila’s volunteer work veered into a dif-
ferent area when in January of 2015 she
joined the board of the Synagogue Corpo-
ration, d/b/a/ Fern Hill Apartments. Fern
Hill provides subsidized housing in over 60
apartments for the elderly and those with
disabilities. Lila and others are spearhead-
ing a revitalization of this project to include
refinancing, renovations and enhanced
programs including nursing and social ser-
vices.
In her years as a legal services and pro
bono attorney, Lila Shapero has seen many
changes. “A lot of the needs really are the
same, but the ability to meet those needs
is getting increasingly difficult over time,”
Scenes from our Solo and
Small Firm Conference
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THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • SUMMER 2017
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