North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society Shines Bright Light On NCBA+NCBF
“The North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society celebrates those attorneys who have met their professional responsibility enshrined in Rule 6.1, increasing access to justice for those in need. The Society allows the North Carolina legal profession to celebrate the importance of attorney volunteerism and encourage colleagues and peers to get involved.”
The fifth edition of the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society was announced on May 10. As noted above from the website of the N.C. Pro Bono Resource Center, the Honor Society is deeply rooted in North Carolina Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1, which “encourages North Carolina attorneys to provide at least fifty hours of pro bono legal services each year to those who are unable to pay.”
Eligibility is further defined by the Pro Bono Resource Center as follows:
Attorneys licensed in North Carolina (or attorneys who provide services under North Carolina Pro Bono Practice Status) who report at least 50 hours of pro bono legal service (i.e. activity under NC RPC 6.1(a)) in a year will be inducted into that year’s cohort of the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society and receive a certificate from the Supreme Court of North Carolina recognizing their valuable contributions to the people of North Carolina.
Members of the North Carolina Bar Association play a prominent role in the delivery of pro bono legal services in North Carolina. In fact, nearly three-fourths of the attorneys recognized in the Pro Bono Honor Society for 2020 are members of the NCBA.
Many do so through their participation in North Carolina Bar Foundation programs such as 4ALL Statewide Service Day, NC Free Legal Answers, Wills for Heroes and NC LEAP (Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program).
In the following two-part coverage, attorneys from across the state discuss their passion for pro bono service. Separate articles are devoted to attorneys practicing in the state’s larger metropolitan areas and attorneys serving in smaller towns and rural areas.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.