The beginning of October marks the start of the National Celebration of Pro Bono. The Celebration is an opportunity to connect pro bono providers and attorneys across the nation and to showcase the incredible difference that pro bono lawyers make to our nation, to our system of justice, to our communities, and most of all, to the clients they serve. The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service has designated October 22-28, 2023 as the official dates of the Celebration, but in Pennsylvania the event has grown to encompass the entire month of October.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Office and its Legal Services to the Public Committee partners with the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service to invite you to join the festivities throughout October as Pennsylvania lawyers take part in the National  Celebration of Pro Bono. In 2023, under the leadership of PBA President Michael McDonald and ABA President Mary Smith, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, local bars and legal aid programs are holding events across the state around the theme of Voices of Democracy: Ensuring Justice for All.

Mary Smith, Esquire, President, American Bar Association
 

The events highlight the ways in which access to legal assistance affects historically excluded and low-income individuals across the country in all aspects of life. As part of this year’s celebration, advocates are educating judges, attorneys, law students and legal support staff of the need for pro bono assistance, educating individuals about the availability of legal services and assisting individuals with their legal needs. A full list of events is available on the Events Calendar on PAProbono.net.

A major focus of the 2023 Pro Bono Week is Pennsylvania Free Legal Answers, a project of the Pennsylvania Bar Association in collaboration with ABA Free Legal Answers. Pennsylvania Free Legal Answers allows qualified users to submit questions about civil legal issues and receive answers from pro bono lawyers. When a response is filed by a participating attorney the user receives a notification by email and can login to the website to view the answer to their question. Visit https://pa.freelegalanswers.org for more information.

More on the National Celebration of Pro Bono from the ABA