For Immediate Release
April 6, 2020
Contact:
Mark McGrath
Chief Development Officer
mmcgrath@probono.net

Remote Legal Support: A Guide for Nonprofit and Pro Bono Innovation

New York, NY (April 6, 2020) - As more organizations shift to remote services to maintain the health and safety of their staff and clients, the demand for materials and tools for optimizing and structuring remote legal support programs continues to rise. Underserved communities have even less access to services and resources at a time where new needs are growing daily.

Pro Bono Net, the Immigration Advocates Network, and partners are pleased to announce the publication of Remote Legal Support: A Guide for Nonprofit and Pro Bono Innovation. It is a collaborative text by more than 10 organizations, to pool expert resources and experience. It features our national survey results, as well as successful Remote Legal Support programs and their program logistics, processes, challenges, tools, checklists, sample documents, and best practices. Complete with an interactive appendix, this manual will help organizations learn about and explore opportunities to build their own remote legal support projects.

Background

In early 2019, Pro Bono Net teamed with over 10 organizations to explore different ways to leverage technology and share strategies that increase rural and underserved communities access to justice. We developed a national survey of immigration nonprofits to understand the field's experience and interest in offering Remote Legal Support (RLS) programs.

More than 200 nonprofit organizations were surveyed and collected data on technology currently in use and where the critical needs remained. We developed resources that we knew were greatly needed: a training manual, examples of successful programs, sample documents, and more. The manual features successful Remote Legal Services (RLS) programs, including program logistics, processes, challenges, tools, checklists, sample documents, best practices, as well as projects and models from across the nonprofit sector.

Learn More

Pro Bono Net will work with partners on a webinar series, to help interested organizations and communities foster Remote Legal Support partnerships. Click HERE to download the manual, and stay tuned  for events to come. If you are interested in piloting a Remote Legal Support Partnership/Program, email dhussain@probono.net.

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About Pro Bono Net

Pro Bono Net is a national nonprofit dedicated to building cutting-edge digital tools and fostering collaborations with eh nation's leading civil legal organizations. Pro Bono Net?s comprehensive programs enable legal advocates to make a stronger impact, increase volunteer participation, and empower the public with resources and self-help tools to solve legal issues. www.probono.net

About Immigration Advocates Network

The Immigration Advocates Network (IAN), a program of Pro Bono Net, is dedicated to expanding access to immigration legal resources and information through collaboration and technology. IAN was created in 2007 by leading immigrants' rights organizations, to increase access to justice for low-income immigrants and strengthen the capacity of organizations serving them. We create our own tools, build platforms for others, and work with partners to harness the power of technology and collective action to better support immigrants and their advocates. To learn more, visit www.immigrationadvocates.org.