Building a stronger culture of pro bono across the state of Louisiana sets the stage for 2022 as a year of collaboration, community, and access to justice. The Pro Bono Project is thrilled to join the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Access to Justice Commission, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana in the “20 in 2022” campaign. Our goal is to enlist lawyers to devote 20 pro bono hours a year. With the support of the local bar and judiciary, we are recruiting both young and seasoned practitioners to support access to justice for those Louisianans needing basic legal help.
Read MoreIn Memory of Katrina - Fifteen Years Later
Fifteen years after Katrina, Southeast Louisiana is struggling with challenges both new and old. In commemoration of this anniversary, we pay tribute to the many people who came to the aid of The Pro Bono Project in the days after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of our beloved City.
We recount some of the many stories from the moment when we realized that both our clients and our volunteers were spread across the country, as was our entire population, right up until the present day.
http://probono-no.org/hurricane-katrina-retrospective
Read MoreMessage from the Executive Director
The Pro Bono Project joins legal aid programs around the country in considering the impact of COVID-19 on how we deliver legal services to our communities while keeping ourselves and clients safe. We have made safety a priority by choosing to meet remotely whenever possible. We continue to accept applications for legal services and are placing cases with our volunteers. The Project developed an expansive COVID-19 resource page, a self-help desk hotline for self-represented litigants to call and email, and online webinars and tutorials for clients and volunteers. These resources provide useful information to practitioners as well as the public.
The Pro Bono Project encourages those who have the time and inclination to continue to volunteer with us. As Louisiana continues to deal with the pandemic, the need for free civil legal aid grows. Your support helps thousands of under-served residents build safer, healthier, and more stable lives.
Read MoreMessage from The Chair and Executive Director on the Covid-19 Pandemic
Since 1986, The Pro Bono Project has provided free civil legal aid to under-served members of our community. By engaging volunteer attorneys, paralegals, law students, and private citizens to render pro bono services, The Project serves clients in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, and Washington parishes who otherwise might not have access to the civil legal aid they need. From the devastation wrought by Katrina and the BP Oil Spill to the daily legal challenges faced by seniors, children, and families, our staff and volunteers consistently rally to support our mission. The next few days and weeks certainly will present new challenges, but The Pro Bono Project is ready to address our area’s legal needs.
Read More2019 Justice For All Ball: Laissez les bons temps rouler
The good times will roll for The Pro Bono Project’s 31st Annual Justice For All Ball on Friday, September 20, 2019. The Justice For All Ball is The Project’s premier fundraiser where the legal community gathers to support our mission to provide free, quality civil legal services to the under-served members of our community.
In celebration of our 31st year, we are asking you to look to the next 30 years of The Pro Bono Project providing access to justice to the most needy and vulnerable of our neighbors. The Justice For All Ball is embarking on a new beginning at a new location. We are thrilled to announce that this year’s event will be held at Mardi Gras World’s Grand Oaks Mansion. Located on the river, the Grand Oaks mansion is an indoor venue that places attendees in the heart of Louisiana. It features an indoor replica of a mansion – complete with columns, footbridges, oak trees, and a starlit sky.
Read More5 in 5 with ... Hugh Straub
We return to our 5 in 5 series with an interview with one of The Pro Bono Project’s most dedicated volunteers, Hugh Straub. Recognized for his legal acumen, philanthropic spirit, and bow tie, Hugh practiced in the area of admiralty law first at Terriberry, Carroll & Yancey and then at Phelps Dunbar. Hugh is in his sixth year volunteering at the Orleans Parish Civil District Court Self-Help Desk. Serving self-represented litigants two times a week, Hugh was a LSBA Distinguished Access to Justice Fellow for 2018.
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