In Palm Beach County, the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County is the designated agency for administering Florida’s Pro Bono Plan.

That plan, outlined in Rule 4-6.1, Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, describes lawyers’ professional responsibility for pro bono service.

The professional responsibility may be discharged by: (1) annually providing at least 20 hours of pro bono legal service to the poor; or (2) making an annual contribution of at least $350 to a legal aid organization.

Each year, the Legal Aid Society requests participation from the county’s attorneys and forwards a participation form to be completed. While direct representation is the most common method for attorneys to fulfill their pro bono obligation, the importance of financial contributions should not be overlooked.

Last year, $280,000 in contributions augmented Legal Aid’s budget and allowed in house units to provide additional service to the poor and disadvantaged. Certain lawyers, however, may be limited by constitutional, statutory, rule, or other regulatory prohibitions and are deferred from participation under the rule.

In Palm Beach County, a number of special projects offer innovative and creative methods for providing pro bono service to answer the needs of these attorneys.

If you experience problems completing the Pro Bono Participation/Buy Out Online Form, please call us at (561) 655-8944 Ext. 235 to complete your transaction over the phone.