The Jefferson County Bar Association is recognizing the hundreds of attorneys who give their time and give up their fees to help low-income residents resolve their legal problems.
As part of the fourth annual National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, Oct. 22-26, volunteers manned a pro bono information desk at the Jefferson County Courthouse. The attorneys who volunteered for the pro bono program during the past year were honored at a luncheon Tuesday at the new City Event Centre.
According to a press release from the Bar Association, 196 lawyers donated 2,158 hours in free legal services last year. But the JCBA Pro Bono program said more volunteers are needed to cover Jefferson, Hardin, Liberty and Orange counties.
The JCBA Pro Bono program does not handle criminal cases, personal injury, wrongful death, accident claims or child support cases. It does work with family law, divorce, custody, adoption, name change, discrimination, employment, health care, consumer, housing, education, wills and expunctions.
Celebrate Pro Bono week was created by the American Bar Association to bring attention to the increasing need for pro bono services as the economy struggles and the unprecedented response of attorneys to meet those needs.
For more information, contact the Jefferson County Bar Association Pro Bono Program, 1001 Pearl St., Room 202, Beaumont, (409) 839-2332 or probono@jcba.org.