2011-12 Report

By: Michael T. Cecka, Chair, and Andi M. Gervais, Vice Chair

Over the past several months, members of the Pro Bono for Nonprofits Committee (the Committee) have been in discussions with members of the newly formed Lawyers As Volunteers Advisory Committee (LAVA) to discuss, among other things, a new committee structure that would expand the Committee to review applications and place individual clients in need of pro bono legal assistance with experienced local attorneys. 

The expansion is intended to supplement, not replace, the existing efforts of the other providers of pro bono legal services in our community, by only placing those clients who have been unable to secure pro bono legal assistance from our collaborative partners in the event those providers have exhausted their resources due to today's extremely high demand for pro bono legal services.  While the new Committee structure is only in its concept phase, LAVA approval is expected this next fiscal year followed by submission to the full Board for approval.

In the interim, the Committee has continued to review applications and place clients for nonprofit organizations seeking free legal services, and has welcomed four new attorney volunteer members, including Andi M. Gervais (vice chair), Jeremy M. Deese, Deepa P. Tungare, and Brandon Williams.  Michael Cecka has remained on the Committee as chair, and after several years of dedicated service, three of the Committee's valued members have ended their tenure of service, including Christopher Tucci (outgoing chair, now LAVA chair), Rob Fisher (LAVA member), and William J. Forgione.  The Committee thanks its outgoing members for their invaluable service and input throughout their years of service.

Lastly, the Committee spoke at the most recent Association of Corporate Counsel's Pro Bono Fair (Charlotte chapter) held at the Charlotte School of Law, in an effort to publicize the Committee and recruit new volunteer attorneys from the many in-house attorneys in the Charlotte area.  The Committee also has plans to continue discussions with professors from the Charlotte School of Law to develop a structure whereby law school students can assist the volunteer attorneys (or the Committee) in the pro bono work and applications considered for placement by the Committee possibly obtaining law school credit for such volunteer activity.