Volunteer Lawyers Project Wins Grant for New
Public Interest Initiative Targeting Senior Lawyers

BOSTON – The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (VLP) has been awarded a three-year grant by the Pro Bono Institute in Washington, D.C. to launch a Second   Acts® pilot project to establish an innovative and replicable model to engage transitioning and retired attorneys in significant, volunteer public interest law opportunities.  VLP is one of four sites chosen as a pilot project. Other projects are in New York, San Francisco and Milwaukee.

VLP plans to collaborate with Boston’s largest law firms to provide their most senior and retired attorneys opportunities to engage in significant and meaningful public interest practice and to institutionalize firm support for pro bono work as part of the firm’s transition planning.  VLP will create a collegial and intellectually stimulating venue for veteran lawyers with both a formal educational component and individual mentoring.  Attorneys will be encouraged to try new areas of law through an array of opportunities tailored to individual attorneys’ substantive interests and time commitments. Cases and projects will be offered that range from individual representation in cases to signature projects that address far-reaching systemic issues.

Second Acts® was launched by the Pro Bono Institute in 2004 to create institutional support for the historic number of attorneys transitioning to retirement who want to contribute their significant time, skills, and experience to help public interest organizations effectively meet the complex legal needs of low-income communities.

For additional information, please contact Barbara Siegel, Project Manager at bsiegel@vlpnet.org or 617-423-0648, ext. 123.