Avvo & Pro Bono Services

Pro bono, at its simplest, is the providing of free (or reduced cost) legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford them.  Many, including those of us at Avvo, feel that it is incumbent upon attorneys to do pro bono work. 

Avvo's Pro Bono Background

CEO Mark Britton was a long-time board member of Solid Ground, an organization fighting against poverty in Seattle.  As General Counsel for Cellular One of San Francisco, Avvo GC Josh King was awarded the San Francisco Bar Association's "Pro Bono Corporation of the Year" award for his work with the Women's Building.  Mark and Josh continue to strive to provide pro bono services, as does Mark's wife Brigid, who serves as a volunteer attorney with the Northwest Justice Project.

Avvo's Facilitation of Pro Bono

There is little question of the need for more and better ways of getting pro bono services to those in need.  As the American Bar Association puts it:

"The gap between the legal needs of the poor and the resources available to meet those needs is growing dramatically. By necessity, people have been increasingly emphasizing expansion of pro bono legal services through various policy and delivery options."

Avvo believes that it offers an important delivery option for pro bono services.  Avvo doesn't exist just for those consumers who can afford a lawyer; it also exists for those who can't afford a lawyer - offering free legal guides, free legal advice via Avvo Answers, and connections to pro bono resources and lawyers who offer pro bono services. 

Avvo's Legal Resources Module for Non-Profits

As part of its pro bono effort, Avvo offers to select non-profit organizations the ability to extend Avvo's free legal resources to the communities they serve.  With tens of thousands of lawyers participating in Avvo, and the web's largest free legal Q&A forum, Avvo offers a powerful way for organizations and their constituants to get the guidance they need when dealing with legal issues.

Using the program, an organization can offer on its site a legal resources page directly targeted to the needs of the its community.  Here are two examples of organizations who have done just that:

End Violence Against Women International

Community Action Stops Abuse

Implementation on an organization's site is simple, typically involving little more than creating a new link.  If your organization is interested in participating in this program, please contact Josh King at (206) 734-4113.

Other Pro Bono Resources

There are many local agencies offering pro bono services.  Avvo has created guides to free and low-cost legal resources for each state, and will be adding expanded resources guides to these pages in the future.

Avvo State-by-State Guides to Free and Low-Cost Legal Resources

For some legal matters, it can help to talk matters through with an attorney.  Lawyer Referral Services offer intake counseling and panels of attorneys who agree to free initial consultations, typically for a nominal administration fee.

American Bar Association Lawyer Referral Directory