U.S. Department
of Justice
Justice Department Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Federal Government Pro Bono Week
To kick off Federal Government Pro Bono Week 2023, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco joined Justice Department employees at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Advice & Referral Clinic at Bread for the City on Saturday, Oct. 21. At the clinic, she announced the launch of the DOJ Pro Bono Portal, a new initiative to expand the DOJ Pro Bono Program, led by the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ). Deputy Attorney General Monaco announced the access to an online platform that will deliver screened pro bono opportunities directly to every Justice Department attorney. Deputy Attorney General Monaco and ATJ Director Rachel Rossi thanked the Department attorneys and other volunteers who donated their time and experience to provide pro bono service to the Washington, D.C., community.
“In 1996, Attorney General Janet Reno established the DOJ’s pro bono policy and in so doing strengthened our communities by expanding access to justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “All attorneys bear a unique responsibility to use their expertise, skills, and training in service for those most in need. As we modernize and expand access to the DOJ’s Pro Bono Program, the Department strengthens its commitment to what Attorney General Reno started. Engaging in pro bono work and serving the communities around us are in the best tradition of this Department.”
ATJ houses the DOJ Pro Bono Program, which connects Justice Department employees with pro bono opportunities, and leads the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, which facilitates pro bono engagement by all federal attorneys government-wide. The DOJ Pro Bono Portal is an innovative approach to encouraging pro bono engagement that will make it easier for Department attorneys to participate in volunteer legal services in their individual capacities, by providing quick and simple access to pro bono opportunities. The platform will include opportunities which do not pose conflicts of interest for Justice Department attorneys and will include guidance about the rules governing their involvement.
“Our laws are only as meaningful as the ability of communities to access their promises, and too many people cannot do so because they don’t have legal help,” said ATJ Director Rossi. “This new resource will allow us to more broadly mobilize the federal government attorney workforce to engage in pro bono assistance and stand in the justice gap.”
“For over two decades, the Federal Government Pro Bono Program has connected federal government lawyers to pro bono opportunities,” said Chair Laura Klein of the Federal Government Pro Bono Program. “For the first time, through the DOJ Pro Bono Portal, DOJ attorneys will be able to easily access these opportunities through the click of a mouse, modernizing the Program, promoting greater volunteerism, and expanding help for those with critical legal needs.”
The Deputy Attorney General’s announcement of the DOJ Pro Bono Portal coincides with the 20th anniversary of Federal Government Pro Bono Week, an annual celebration and promotion of pro bono work by federal government attorneys and legal staff. Over 50 federal agencies participate in the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, working together to bring the talent and skills of their attorneys to Americans who cannot afford to pay for legal assistance. The theme of this year’s Government Pro Bono Week is Expanding Access to Pro Bono and features a keynote address by Legal Services Corporation President Ronald Flagg, opportunities to volunteer in legal clinics around the country, and panel presentations highlighting pro bono opportunities for federal legal staff and ways that attorneys can provide legal assistance to victims of disasters.
Officially started in 1996, the Federal Government Pro Bono Program currently has branches in eight cities: Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Federal government volunteers provide legal assistance on issues such as housing, family law, domestic violence, estate planning, and employment law.
