In general, to qualify to become a client of Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio, the nonprofit must:

1) Be a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity;

2) Serve low-income or disadvantaged people or otherwise contribute to the quality of life in our service area;

3) Offer programs that have a demonstrable impact on the community;

4) Be an Ohio nonprofit located in or serving the Cincinnati or Dayton areas; and

5) Be unable to pay for legal services without significant impairment of its program services.

Please note that we do not assist:

– Individuals
– Businesses
– Schools
– Additionally, while PBPO works with organizations that provide services irrespective of religious affiliation, it does not assist organizations that primarily promote religious purposes.

If your organization does not fit the above criteria, click here for more resources.

No. We only work with established 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charities.

If you think you meet our criteria to become a client, the first step is to submit a completed Request for Legal Assistance. We then set up a screening meeting with PBPO staff, the leader of your organization, and preferably at least one board member from your organization.

If you qualify for our services, PBPO will assign a staff attorney to work with you on an ongoing basis. Your PBPO staff attorney will work with you to identify your organization’s legal needs and provide counsel as long as you are a PBPO client.

That depends. After we receive an application, our internal review committee will review your application for completeness and, once complete, will schedule a 30-minute Screening Call with your organization and a member of the PBPO leadership team. Please note that we will need your executive director (or equivalent position) or a board member on this call.

The speed of the application process depends largely on your organization’s ability to respond to e-mails, phone calls, and paperwork in a timely manner; and your flexibility in scheduling a meeting. If you have an urgent legal matter, please let us know in your Request for Legal Assistance, and we will do all we can to expedite the process.

The legal services provided by PBPO and the attorney volunteers are free of charge.

Note that you may have to pay fees to third parties depending on your matter. For example, to file for a trademark you must pay a filing fee to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Every client agrees to meet the expectations outlined in our Client Agreement and must also continue to qualify for our services on an ongoing basis. Our main request is that you are considerate of the attorney’s time. Our attorney volunteers graciously donate their time and expertise to assist nonprofits with their legal needs. They bill their time to paying clients at rates of at least several hundred dollars per hour.

General etiquette to keep in mind:

– Respond to all calls and e-mails from attorney volunteers and PBPO staff in a timely manner.
– Be flexible when scheduling a call or meeting.
– Be on time for all meetings and calls and be prepared with the dial-in information for virtual meetings.
– Send a thank you to the attorney volunteer once a matter is complete (and send a copy to PBPO).

Other responsibilities as a client include:

– Inform your Board of Directors that PBPO is providing pro bono legal services and inform them of each specific pro bono matter.
– Sign and return all engagement letters from PBPO and/or attorney volunteers.
– Keep in contact with attorney volunteer(s) until the legal matter is complete.
– Promptly respond to e-mails from PBPO staff requesting updates.
– Ensure that PBPO is notified when a matter is complete.
– Do not engage any paid attorneys without prior clearance from your PBPO staff attorney (failure to do this may result in termination as a PBPO client).
– Make all requests for new legal matters through your PBPO staff attorney, not through individual attorney volunteers.

If you are accepted as a client, PBPO will send you some initial paperwork for your signature. Once signed, your designated PBPO staff attorney will schedule an Initial Legal Consultation with you. The purpose of the Initial Legal Consultation is to meet your staff attorney, review PBPO procedures, and discuss any current legal needs.

Following the Initial Legal Consultation:

1) You will be asked to sign and return an Engagement Letter for your identified legal matters.

2) Your priority legal matter(s) will be written up as Volunteer Opportunities for attorneys, which are sent to volunteers monthly by email and listed on our website.

3) You will be notified by PBPO via email when an attorney volunteers to assist with a legal matter.

4) PBPO will then contact you to set up a 20-minute Introductory Call with the attorney volunteer and your PBPO staff attorney concerning the matter.

While we have an excellent success rate at finding volunteers, there is no guarantee that we will be able to find a volunteer to assist with your legal matter(s).

The Engagement Letter describes the matter(s) for which your organization has requested legal assistance, the scope of Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio’s assistance, and the client’s responsibilities to the attorney. PBPO will send the Engagement Letter to you electronically, and requires the signature of at least two board members, or a board member and the Executive Director.

Please make sure you read the document carefully, sign and return promptly. We cannot schedule your Introductory Call with your attorney volunteer until we have received the signed Engagement Letter.

That depends. We generally send out a Volunteer Opportunities email to attorneys in the middle of each month. While many of our matters are placed shortly after the Volunteer Opportunities are sent out, some are more difficult to place.

When an attorney volunteers, PBPO will schedule the Introductory Call with you, the attorney volunteer and your PBPO staff attorney. Please prioritize Introductory Calls when we ask for your availability. Note that the attorney volunteer will need to get approval from his/her firm before having a call with you and that sometimes takes additional time. The volunteer may also require that you sign a separate engagement letter with his/her firm before beginning any work. This is standard practice for law firms.

Please realize that the speed of your matter being placed with an attorney also depends on your organization’s ability to respond to e-mails, phone calls, and paperwork in a timely manner; and your flexibility in scheduling a meeting. If your matter is urgent, please let us know why, and we will do all we can to expedite the process.

Once an attorney has volunteered for your legal matter, we schedule a 20-minute Introductory Call that includes you (the client), the attorney volunteer, and your PBPO staff attorney. The purpose of this call is to introduce everyone, confirm an understanding of the scope of the matter, and discuss next steps. The attorney will let you know what documents or materials you should send to him or her after the call.

We are excited to be able to represent you, and we may publicize the fact that you are a client of PBPO. We will also share general descriptions of your legal matters on our list of Volunteer Opportunities, which is included in emails to our attorney volunteers and posted on our website and social media pages. If your legal matter is sensitive, tell us, and we will not include your organization’s name with the legal matter.

After the Introductory Call, it is the responsibility of the client and the attorney volunteer to communicate directly with one another. Please keep your PBPO staff attorney updated on the progress of the matter and respond to emails from PBPO staff requesting periodic updates. If you are not able to get in touch with your attorney volunteer, please contact your PBPO staff attorney for assistance. Finally, always let PBPO know when your matter is complete.

Please contact your PBPO staff attorney when your organization has additional legal needs. Please do not ask any of our attorney volunteers to provide further assistance. Although we might be able to place your matter with a volunteer with whom you have previously worked, all requests need to go through your PBPO staff attorney. If you are unsure of who your PBPO staff attorney is, please contact us at [email protected].