Building on the extraordinary success of the first annual National Pro Bono Celebration in 2009, the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is sponsoring the Celebration again this year October 24 through 30, 2010.

The Celebration is a coordinated national effort to meet the ever-growing needs of this country's most vulnerable citizens by encouraging and supporting local efforts to expand the delivery of pro bono legal services, and by showcasing the great difference that pro bono lawyers make to the nation, its system of justice, its communities and, most of all, to the clients they serve.

The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service chose to launch this important initiative because of the increasing need for pro bono services during these harsh economic times and the unprecedented response of attorneys to meet this demand.

Although national in breadth, the Celebration provides an opportunity for local legal associations across the country to take the next step in their efforts to provide high quality legal services to those living on the social margins.

A guiding principle of the Pro Bono Committee is to support these local efforts and to assist in their growth and effectiveness. A special website, www.CelebrateProBono.org, provides this support by providing information, planning guides, resources, and consultation services.

The legal needs of the poor are local issues, and although nationwide, this celebration is intended to have a local focus and impact. Goals for the celebration include:

1. Recruiting more pro bono volunteers
2. Mobilizing community support for pro bono.
3. Fostering collaborative relationships
4. Recognizing the pro bono efforts of America's lawyers

There are a number of way you can participate in Celebrate Pro Bono 2010:

• Click here to get great celebration event ideas. Visit www.CelebrateProBono.org often for updates and information.
• Click here to be added to the list of participants in the National Pro Bono Celebration.
• Click here to add an event to the national Celebration events calendar on www.CelebrateProBono.org.
• Click here to request edits to an existing event on the Celebration calendar.
• Click here to become a pro bono volunteer.