Collaboration lies at the heart of the most successful, sustainable pro bono programs. What do NCBF volunteer programs such as Wills for Heroes, Disaster Legal Services and Lawyers for Literacy have in common? They are successful initiatives born of the commitment of NCBA members with the support of Foundation programs staff, often in concert with schools and legal services organizations…

In 2022-23, 244 NC Free Legal Answer volunteer attorneys answered 2,283 questions from North Carolinians. North Carolina attorneys have been serving residents in need online since 2018, through the power of the ABA’s Free Legal Answers (FLA) platform. Here, virtual connections can be made at any time of the day or night. Those who financially qualify can have their civil…

With degrees in chemical engineering, Jennifer Knight didn’t set out to be an attorney, but when she decided to go to law school after working for a large corporation, she knew she would be a patent attorney.  Now of counsel at Clements Bernard Walker, Jennifer feels strongly about the need to give back. “Securing my degree came with an obligation…

By Casey Burke and Lynna Moen There are many wonderful reasons why attorneys engage in pro bono work. A robust pro bono practice not only greatly benefits low-income clients and the legal services organizations that serve them, but it also benefits attorneys from the private bar who take on pro bono representation. Pro bono attorneys report high levels of satisfaction,…

The NCBF Open Door Fellowship is a unique, competitive opportunity for first-year North Carolina law students from historically excluded or disadvantaged backgrounds. Open Door Fellows will participate in a paid summer program providing an opportunity to gain experience in a legal work setting. As the legal profession in North Carolina grows and its members become increasingly diverse, this flagship program…

The five pillars of the NCBF Values Statement are imperceptibly woven into the fabric of NCBF pro bono and civic education programs. But it is these values of access to justice, service, education, professionalism, and diversity, equity and inclusion that bind the programs of the NCBF with the highest ideals of the North Carolina Bar Association. Samantha Gordon of Shane…

This article originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of North Carolina Lawyer Magazine. Read the complete article written by Russell Rawlings and view all NC Lawyer issues at ncbar.org/nc-lawyer. Tropical Storm Fred slammed through Haywood County on August 17, leaving a swath of death and destruction that is all too familiar to this part of Western North Carolina. It…

This article originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of North Carolina Lawyer Magazine. Read the complete article written by Russell Rawlings and view all NC Lawyer issues at ncbar.org/nc-lawyer. More than half of North Carolina’s citizens reside in the state’s three largest metropolitan statistical areas, commonly known as the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point), the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel…

This article originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of North Carolina Lawyer Magazine. Read the complete article written by Russell Rawlings and view all NC Lawyer issues at ncbar.org/nc-lawyer. When the fifth edition of the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society was announced earlier this year, Foundation and Development Manager Jared Smith of the N.C. Equal Access to Justice…

NCBA members are volunteering their time and expertise this winter and spring to support low-wealth entrepreneurs through the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s NC Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (formerly known as NC LEAP). Founded in 2007 as a project of the NC Bar Association Business Law and Corporate Council Sections, Entrepreneurs Assistance Program coordinates attorney volunteers to provide pro bono…