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| Bar Bulletin |
February, 2003 |
| Pro Bono |
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Mutually Beneficial
Pro Bono
By Lisa Muscara
Hear the phrase “pro
bono legal services” and almost immediately direct representation, family
law issues and landlord-tenant cases come to mind. There are, however,
countless opportunities to provide pro bono service in non-traditional
ways. Richard Abraham, of Abraham and Bauer in Middle River, has been
proving this fact for years.
Through the Bar
Association of Baltimore City Legal Services to the Elderly Program,
Abraham has been working to serve the members of his community age 60 and
over. Ten months out of the year, Abraham is scheduled to speak at a
pre-retirement seminar hosted by the Baltimore City Commission on Aging
and Retirement Education (CARE) for interested Baltimore City employees
nearing retirement. During this seminar, participants discuss wills and
estate planning, durable power of attorney and advanced directives, among
other topics. Over the years, Abraham has donated his time and expertise
to serve as a guest lecturer at CARE’s seminars month after month. Why
does he do it? “I think attorneys have a responsibility to give back to
our communities,” he explains. “This doesn’t always have to be in the
manner of reduced-fee or direct representation.” By his estimation,
“Approximately 75-80 percent of the public has done no planning for
pre-death, primarily because they don’t know about it. I think it’s
incumbent upon attorneys in that area of law to help people in our
communities understand. It’s part of being an attorney.”
While the majority
of pro bono work Abraham has done with the Legal Services to the Elderly
Program has been to serve as a guest lecturer and increase community
education, he has also taken some more traditional direct representation
cases. To help ensure a positive experience with pro bono clients, “I sit
down and explain their [the clients’] responsibilities right at the
beginning. I think a lot of attorneys neglect to do this.”
For Baltimore City
residents age 60 and over, the Legal Services to the Elderly Program staff
and volunteer attorneys provide advice and consultation, direct
representation and education/outreach services. Program staff and
volunteers handle pro bono, non-fee-generating civil cases involving
public benefits and pensions as well as consumer, health care, housing,
guardianship and credit-related problems. Marguerite Gardener, Program
Coordinator for the Bar Association of Baltimore City Legal Services to
the Elderly Program, remarked that no matter what their need, from
community outreach and education to help at their annual Law Day, Abraham
“is always willing to help.”
Abraham clearly
maintains a strong opinion about and commitment to providing pro bono
service. He is also a powerful example of the diverse opportunities to
serve our communities with pro bono in non-traditional ways. “I think it’s
important that attorneys understand pro bono doesn’t just mean direct
representation of a case,” he says. “It can be any number of things,
including volunteering with the Bar Association or community outreach and
education.”
Abraham gratefully
acknowledges some of the benefits he has derived from his pro bono work.
At the seminars hosted by CARE, he explains, “I speak on basic estate
planning issues. This experience has enabled me to be a better lecturer
when speaking to any group, whether that is a civic group, a group of
Baltimore City’s upper echelon managers or a group at a senior citizen’s
center.” Abraham’s experience exemplifies the symbiotic benefits of pro
bono endeavors. Clients and attorneys reap the rewards.
If you are
interested in contributing your skills to serve Baltimore City’s 60-plus
population, please contact Marguerite Gardner at (410) 396-1322.
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