Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Indiana lawyers: make sure to start tracking pro bono hours and gifts to legal-services groups



Indiana Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1 imposes a duty on each lawyer to provide “public interest legal service,” and comment 1 sets the goal at fifty hours a year.

In September, the Court added Rule of Professional Conduct 6.7 by this order. As part of our annual registration, we’ll be required to report “reportable pro bono legal services for the previous calendar year ending December 31.” We’ll also be required to report financial contributions to qualifying legal service organizations.

Reportable pro bono legal services means free legal services provided for people “reasonably perceived to be of limited means.” Limited means includes people with household incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty line. This is narrower than the categories described by Rule 6.1, which also mentions work at a reduced fee, public service, and activities improving the law, the legal system, or the legal profession.
Failure to report pro bono hours (even if the number is zero) may subject a lawyer to discipline. And the Court will not publicly disclose information on either an individual or firmwide basis.

This requirement will begin with reporting 2015 pro bono hours during the fall 2016 annual registration. Starting January 1, make sure to keep track of your pro bono hours and contributions to qualified legal-service organizations (including the Indiana Bar Foundation, pro bono districts listed here, and groups listed at Ind. Code § 33‑37‑3‑2(b)—i.e., “Indiana Legal Services or another civil legal aid program,” like Indianapolis Legal Aid Society) for accurate reporting.


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