Get Involved with the D.C. Circuit: Join the Pro-Bono Committee

Interested in becoming move involved with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals? The Judicial Conference of the D.C. Circuit recently announced a vacancy on its Standing Committee on Pro-Bono Legal Services.

The role is for a 3-year term and will begin on July 1, 2012.

The Standing Committee on Pro-Bono Legal Services spearheads and manages pro-bono initiatives within the D.C. Circuit. The Committee members are responsible for reviewing and reporting to the Judicial Conference on issues facing pro se litigants in the federal court system.

The Committee works cooperatively with organizations in the D.C. Bar to meet the legal needs of the community through programs and increased pro-bono work.

The Committee also conducts surveys and studies on the pro-bono situation in the D.C. Circuit, making recommendations and finding areas of improvement to better the pro-bono services offered within the Circuit.

In addition to these duties, the Committee manages the nominations process for the Daniel M. Gribbon Pro Bono Advocacy Award and handles the "40 at 50: Judicial Pro Bono Recognition Breakfast." The breakfast recognizes firms where 40 percent or more of the partners performed 50 or more pro bono hours that year.

The Committee typically has 10 members who are appointed for 3-year terms. One new member is appointed each year, with Judge Robert L. Wilkins serving as liaison judge for the Committee.

The 2012 co-chairs of the Committee are Susan M. Hoffman of Crowell & Morning and James J. Sandman, former President of the D.C. Bar Association.

Deadline for the appointment to the Standing Committee is May 16, 2012. Resumes must be submitted to Elizabeth H. Paret, Circuit Executive, at vacancycommittee@cadc.uscourts.gov.

Related Resources:

• Pro Bono Standing Committee (US Courts)
• D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program (DC Bar)
• Browse D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Decisions (FindLaw Cases)