Low Bono Section
eeThe Low Bono Section is a community for lawyers, law students, and other professionals who are committed to providing, promoting, and learning about low bono services.
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The Low Bono Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, their upcoming events and offerings, as well as information about the section's executive committee.
Section InformationUpcoming ProgramsPast ProgramsJoin the Conversation | Section BenefitsResourcesExecutive CommitteeExecutive Committee Meetings |
Upcoming Programs
NEW Webinar! Hang Your Own Shingle: Starting a Law Firm Basics
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Solo & Small Practice Section and the WSBA Low Bono Section.
This CLE, presented by Margeaux Green, the Washington State Bar Association's Practice Management Advisor, provides essential guidance for legal professionals looking to establish and manage a solo or small firm practice. During this 60-minute session, attendees will explore crucial topics such as office setup, technology tools, client management, and compliance with ethical requirements. Additionally, the program will cover the key components of creating a comprehensive business plan tailored to your legal practice. Participants will gain practical insights into managing a firm efficiently while adhering to best practices for business development and financial planning. Whether you are new to solo practice or seeking to refine your existing firm, this CLE will offer actionable steps to improve your practice management skills and long-term success.
When: Oct. 30, 2024
Time: Noon–1 p.m. PDT
Credits: 1.00 Other
NEW Webinar! Empowering Minorities in Workspaces
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Low Bono Section
The legal profession, like many industries, has long been dominated by heterosexual white males, creating barriers for minorities to navigate and succeed. This Continuing Legal Education (CLE) course dives deep into the current landscape, exploring the unique challenges faced by minorities and underrepresented groups within these environments. Through engaging discussion and practical strategies, we will explore how to foster genuine allyship, empowering both current and future generations of diverse professionals to thrive in law and other fields.
Participants will learn how to identify biases, create inclusive workspaces, and become active allies in breaking down systemic barriers. By gaining insights into actionable steps for promoting diversity and inclusion, attendees can play a pivotal role in transforming their workplaces and ensuring a more equitable future for all.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding the impact of systemic bias on minorities in law
- How to become an effective ally and advocate for diversity and inclusion
- Strategies for empowering underrepresented professionals to pursue and sustain successful careers
When: Nov. 13, 2024
Time: Noon–1 p.m. PST
Credits: 1.50 Ethics (Equity)
NEW Webinar! Mastering MS Word for Legal Professionals: Essential Features for Contract Work
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Low Bono Section
This seminar will cover:
- The prevalence of MS Word in legal document preparation
- Statistics on usage in contract negotiations
- The need for advanced MS Word skills in legal practice
- Overview of key features for efficient contract work
When: Jan. 16, 2025
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m. PT
Credits: 1.50 Law & Legal Procedure
Past Programs
Webinar: Review of Minor Guardianship — Review of the 2021 Law Changes
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Low Bono Section
Celeste Miller hosts a 1.5-hour webinar on the new Uniform Guardianship Act, covering the portion of the act governing custodial guardianships of minor children. The act makes significant changes to the previous third party (nonparent) custody laws by eliminating RCW 26.10, by replacing it with article 2 of RCW 11.130. Third party custody will be referred to as guardianship of a minor.
Faculty
Celeste Miller, King County Bar Association, Seattle
Watch the Video 1 hour, 30 minutes
This video is not accredited for CLE credit.
Webinar: Sister Helen Prejean: Justice Advocate and Author of Dead Man Walking
Because of the extraordinary importance of the content provided, a recording of this CLE is being offered by the Low Bono Section with the permission of Sister Helen Prejean. CLE Credit is not provided for viewing the recording.
Always entertaining, Sister Helen talks about life, death, and her burning passion for justice. Known around the globe for her tireless work against the death penalty, she is the author of several books, a global speaker, and winner of innumerable awards. In this seminar, Sister Helen talks about access to justice and the continued challenges in her work.
This video is not accredited for CLE credit.
Resources
Read Access to Justice ChampionsThe Low Bono Section Newsletter Read the latest issue. | COVID-19 Law Office Reopening GuideWSBA's new Reopening Safely: A Guide to Washington State Law Offices produced by the Coronavirus Response Task Force. |
Section Information — What Is Low Bono?
In a broad sense, low bono is the principle of increasing access to law-related services for people of moderate means who do not qualify for pro bono assistance, but cannot afford the fees private attorneys typically charge under traditional law firm models. There are opportunities to provide low bono services in the legal profession, and in every other profession that intersects with the delivery of legal services.
Low bono service providers find many creative ways to provide their services, and the list of possibilities continues to grow as practitioners try out new models of service delivery. Some examples of low bono services include:
- Using flexible pricing models, including sliding-fee scales, flat fees, payment plans, third-party payments, even crowdfunding
- Unbundling services
- Increasing the efficiency of delivering common services, such as adopting back office technologies and appropriately delegating tasks
- Commoditizing certain services, including online service delivery, automated intake, publication of legal guides, self-help kiosks, and document automation for common documents
- Mindfully and creatively using clients’ limited legal budgets, such as when crafting discovery requests
- Adopting a methodology of client counseling and litigation in which practitioners seek early and affordable resolutions when appropriate, even when it would be more profitable to engage in protracted conflict
Section Benefits
The greatest benefit of joining the Low Bono Section is the opportunity to build lasting relationships with a community of like-minded professionals. For its members, the Low Bono Section provides a forum and opportunity for education, training, sharing of forms, practice tips, client counseling techniques, and alternative techniques for conflict resolution. The section provides its members with free mentorship opportunities, discounted admission to low-bono-oriented CLEs, networking and referral opportunities with other low bono professionals, leadership development opportunities, and more.
Join the Low Bono Section
The cost to join the Low Bono Section is $30.
Join the Conversation
All professionals with an interest in low bono, lawyers and nonlawyers alike are invited to join the low bono community discussions, hosted through Groups.io. Membership in the section is not currently required to join.
Stay informed of Low Bono Section activities on Twitter and Facebook.
1:1 Mentoring Program
We invite members to contact the Executive Committee if looking for a low bono mentor. We will do our best to pair you up with an experienced low bono practitioner.
Disclaimer: These resources and opportunities are provided solely for the convenience of section members. No endorsement of any resource, mentor and/or mentorship relationship is intended, and no warranty is made as to the accuracy of the information by either the Washington State Bar Association or the Low Bono Section.
Executive Committee
Chair: Marya Noyes (2024-2025) Chair-Elect: Jaymi Trimble (2024-2025) Immediate Past Chair: Lesli Ashley (2024-2025) Secretary: Vacant (2024-2025) Treasurer: Clay Wilson (2024-2025) Board of Governors Liaison*: Emily Arneson (2024-2025) | At-Large Members: Lesli Ashley (2023-2025) Law Student Positions*: Vacant (University of Washington) *Nonvoting member |
Executive Committee Meetings
The Executive Committee of the Low Bono Section conducts meetings on the second Wednesday of each month 4–5:30 p.m. Meetings are held via Zoom teleconferencing. Please contact committee members for any further details needed on their upcoming meetings.
Phone: 253-215-8782 | Meeting ID: 965 1505 1256 | Passcode: 450303
If you have questions about the Low Bono Section, contact any member of the Section Executive Committee. For all other inquiries, contact sections@wsba.org.
