In a move that will ease the burden on a Trial Court facing unprecedented
numbers of pro se litigants, and enable solo and small firm
practitioners to get certified to help a growing source of paying clients, the
Boston Bar Association today announced that on January 9 it will conduct a free
Limited Assistance Representation (LAR) training
session at the BBA's 16 Beacon Street headquarters. From 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
the BBA will conduct a general LAR certification session, to be followed by two
breakout sessions from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
According to the American Bar Association, LAR, also called Unbundling, can
be thought of as an "a la carte option for legal services, where instead of
handling an entire case from start to finish, a lawyer may handle only certain
parts." The ABA notes that LAR gives lawyers "the opportunity to obtain clients
who would otherwise represent themselves," and at the same time reach "an
untapped market and generate additional income."
One breakout session will focus on LAR in the Land
Court Division of the Trial Court, which will permit LAR starting on January
2. That session will be taught by Land Court Judge Robert B. Foster and Donald
R. Pinto, Jr. of Rackemann, Sawyer &
Brewster. To register for this session, click
here.
The other breakout session will focus on LAR in the Probate
and Family Court, one of the first divisions of the Trial Court to implement
LAR. This session will be taught by two private attorneys, Laura M. Unflat and Cynthia
E. MacCausland, both of whom have LAR clients as a significant portion of
their practice. To register for this session, click
here.
The sessions will be videotaped for placement on the You Tube channel of The
Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association for lawyers who want to
self-certify. This spring, the BBA will conduct yet another LAR training
session, with breakout sessions for lawyers interested in providing LAR in the
Boston
Municipal Court and the Housing
Court Divisions of the Trial Court.
LAR is limited to civil cases and requires that lawyers follow certain
procedures, all of which will be covered during the training
sessions.