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.