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| The Georgetown University Law Center, pictured, has partnered with Arent Fox and DLA Piper to form a nonprofit law firm accessible to lower income clients in an effort to make the law more accessible to those in need of legal assistance. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini |
I am intrigued by the collaboration of my law school alma mater, Georgetown University Law Center, and two for-profit law firms that,
together, have launched a “low bono” nonprofit law firm intended for clients
whose incomes are between 200 and 400 percent above the poverty line. Part of
an industry-wide awareness that the law needs to become more accessible to many
people who cannot afford legal fees at standard rates, but who typically don’t
qualify for free representation through legal aid organizations, the initiative
pairs Georgetown with two BigLaw firms, Arent Fox and DLA Piper. It will be
staffed by LL.M fellows at Georgetown with BigLaw lawyers training and
supervising on a pro bono basis. Even more interesting is that leadership of the
newly formed organization, the D.C. Affordable Law Firm, is looking to include
nonlawyers as well in some way. It’s an exciting path given the realization
that not only does the law need to be more accessible, but law does not operate
in a silo; it overlaps with business, social needs, and so on—so why not make different
types of professionals more accessible, too?
This sort of law school/law firm collaboration could become
a trend. After the Georgetown/Arent Fox/DLA Piper initiative was announced, a number
of New York law firms, the City University of New York School of Law, and the
New York City Bar Association disclosed another “low bono” collaboration called
Court Square that will also feature legal fellows working for clients of modest
income under the mentorship of lawyers. These fellows will also be learning how
to run a small law practice.
Exciting times in the legal industry, indeed.
—Lori Tripoli
Interested in how the legal industry is evolving? You might like these posts:
- The Takeaway from the Dewey Mistrial
- Mistakes that Small Law Firms Make
- How to Thrive in the Diminishing World of the Legal Business
- How to Survive a Depression, a Recession, and a Free-Fall Plummet
- Lawyers, Make the Most of Market Unrest
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