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Thursday, June 1, 2023
Nominations sought for Pro Bono Publico Awards and Pro Bono Honor Roll; Take the ABA's pro bono survey

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Nominations sought for Pro Bono Publico Awards and Pro Bono Honor Roll  

The Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services announced this week that it is seeking nominations for the 2023 Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards.

Named for attorneys John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the Adams Awards honor Massachusetts lawyers, law students, law firms and legal organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to providing pro bono services for the benefit of individuals of limited means. Service worthy of an Adams Award may include, but is not limited to:

  • The creation of or participation in an activity or pro bono program that expands legal services to underserved segments of the population or fills a previously unmet need;
  • Significant work on litigation, the outcome of which benefits persons of limited means; or
  • Significant work on the adoption of legislation or policies that benefit individuals of limited means.
The committee encourages the submission of nominations that reflect the diversity of the commonwealth’s residents. More information about award criteria and nomination guidelines can be found on the About the Adams Pro Bono Publico Awards webpage. The deadline for nominations is June 23.

The committee is also seeking submissions by lawyers, law students, law firms and other legal organizations that qualify for the Pro Bono Honor Roll.   

  • To be eligible for the Honor Roll for Individual Attorneys, attorneys must certify that they have provided at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services during calendar year 2022. Attorneys who completed at least 100 hours of pro bono legal services during calendar year 2022 are eligible for the High Honor Roll for Individual Attorneys.
  • The Honor Roll for Law Students recognizes students who have completed at least 50 hours of law-related pro bono services over the course of their law school careers.
  • The Honor Roll for Legal Organizations recognizes law firms, solo practitioners, in-house corporate counsel offices, government attorney offices, nonprofit organizations and law schools that meet certain criteria for the number of hours of pro bono legal services provided by their attorneys and firm policies concerning pro bono service.
More information and links to online application forms are available at the About the Pro Bono Honor Roll webpage. Applications for the Pro Bono Honor Roll should be submitted by Sept 29.  

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Take the ABA's pro bono survey

The American Bar association (ABA), in collaboration with Baylor University, has put together an anonymous survey to gain a better understanding of legal services provided to low- and moderate-income people in states around the country.

This is a nationwide effort to quantify and recognize the pro bono work provided by attorneys, as well as to understand the factors that encourage or discourage pro bono service. The ABA is interested in the perspectives of attorneys who have provided such services as well as attorneys who have not.

Click here to take the survey and for more information.