Did you know you can get CLE credit for Pro Bono Service?

On June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court of Arkansas put out an official statement on Rule 4 and Rule 4.04 that went into effect July 1, 2020. Rule 4 puts in place routines for Pro Bono service and gives them 3 hours Max for CLE. Rule 4.04 says what organization is good to use for CLE credit.  Rule 4 of the Rules for Minimum Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Rule 4.04 for the Regulations of the Arkansas Continuing Legal Education Board have both been changed. These changes allow the Board to give an hour of CLE credit for three hours of pro bono service for a maximum of three total hours of CLE credit of this kind per reporting period. This means that for nine hours of pro bono service, an attorney will be able to claim three hours of CLE every reporting period!

What’s the catch?

The main catch is that the case in which pro bono service is being given must be assigned and made sure by an organization approved by the Board. Thankfully, there’s no need to look at the Per Curiam to verify which organizations have been approved. Per Curiam is a final choice by a judge or of a court in a united agreement. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) is one of the approved organizations. An attorney simply needs to reach out to CALS to indicate their interest in becoming a volunteer attorney and their staff will assist you in getting a pro bono case.

What if I don’t have time to take on a case?

Fortunately, the rules in the Per Curiam allow some change in this notice. CALS also offers concerned attorneys other ways to provide pro bono services. One of those ways is by helping in one of our many legal clinics. Throughout the year, CALS alongside community partners will offer legal clinics. Clinics in which clients can stop by for legal advice or for help with drafting simple legal documents. The upper hand of volunteering at a clinic is that the attorney only has to give a few hours of their day. So, while making a huge difference in the lives of our clients, you get the reward of getting CLE credit.

Another way an attorney can volunteer is through community legal education. CALS believes that another way to help our clients is by giving them the tools to self-support. Having an attorney present to the community allows them to show their skill on a specific legal topic. They then give the community information about their legal rights. CALS will assist the attorney in securing the place and in promoting the event.

I’ve done my pro bono. Now what?

The beauty of the whole process is that CALS will be with you every step of the way. The volunteer attorney has to keep track of the number of hours they have dedicated to pro bono service. A form will be given by CALS staff, which the attorney will fill out and turn in to the pro bono supervisor. The pro bono supervisors will then check the hours worked, sign the document, and send it to the State Supreme Court. Once they get it, the attorney can receive their CLE credit. That’s it, there’s nothing else to it.

AUTHOR: IVAN MARTINEZ, PRO BONO COORDINATOR FOR THE CENTER FOR ARKANSAS LEGAL SERVICES