Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta Places its 1000th Matter

July 9, 2009 - PRLog -- When Harvey Anderson of Home Repair Ministries signed up to participate in a free “legal checkup” at a Pro Bono Partnership/ Atlanta (PBP-ATL) breakfast, he had no idea that he was about to receive such a wealth of legal information and advice.  

Although Home Repair Ministries- a non profit whose volunteers assist low income and disabled individuals with home maintenance and repair- had not run into any specific legal trouble, Anderson said that he “had an inkling that there were probably issues” that the organization needed to address.
   
For example, when Anderson asked people he knew about whether Home Repair Ministries’ board members could be held personally responsible in a lawsuit against the agency, he received two distinct responses.  “Some people told me that a non profit board is completely insulated from suit, and others said that our board had absolutely no protection,” says Anderson.  

During the organization’s “legal check-up,” Anderson had the chance to ask two Atlanta area attorneys, who volunteer with Pro Bono Partnership/ Atlanta, this same question.  “It turns out that the answer is somewhere in the middle,” says Anderson.  “It was so great to finally have good information and be able to pass this along to our board members,” he adds.

From the information gathered in this meeting, Pro Bono Partnership/ Atlanta determined that Home Repairs Ministries could use more extensive legal help in several areas including employment, contracts, construction and real estate law.  One of the things Home Repairs Ministries needed was help in creating waivers for homeowners.  For this legal matter, PBP-ATL staff attorney Robyn Miller set up a meeting with volunteer attorney George Sewell, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of The Facility Group, an engineering and construction company.

“My main impression of lawyers before this experience was from reading Grisham’s ‘The Firm’,” laughs Anderson.  “I have been so impressed that George is willing to give up those all-important billable hours to help us.  He is very easy-going and engaging and never seems to be watching the clock as I had expected,” adds Anderson.

A relatively new volunteer to PBP-ATL’s program, Sewell says that he has found the experience extremely rewarding.  “Drawing up these types of agreements is something I have done for years and can complete in an about an hour.  For the agency though, this is a huge deal and they are so grateful for the assistance,” says Sewell.  “These agencies are truly worthy organizations and I am glad to be able to use my skills to help them out,” he adds.
Anderson has been equally surprised in his experience with PBP-ATL staff attorney Robyn Miller.  “Robyn has been very thorough and very helpful.  Every time a new question comes up, she is willing to research it and quickly get back to me.  George is just the first of several attorneys she has lined up to help me on our various legal matters.  I’m getting so much more help than I ever expected,” says Anderson.
Sewell’s assistance with Home Repair Ministries’ liability waiver marks the 1,000th legal matter in which PBP-ATL has paired an Atlanta in-house or transactional attorney with a non profit.  Specifically, PBP-ATL provides services for non profits serving the needs of poor and disadvantaged communities in the Metro-Atlanta community.  “We are very excited about this milestone,” says Rachel Spears, Executive Director of PBP-ATL.  “The response from the legal community since we opened our doors four years ago has been amazing.  In-house and transactional lawyers truly want opportunities to do pro bono work.  We are excited to have been able to pair over three hundred attorneys with worthy non profits,” says Spears.  
For Anderson, the resolution of this legal matter marks an important point in the progress of his organization as well.  “This experience is helping us look to the future with a lot more understanding of what we need to do to continue the mission of our organization while protecting those who help us.  A small non-profit starting out like ours could never afford to pay attorneys so we are very grateful for all the help we have received.”

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Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta provides free legal assistance to community-based nonprofits that serve low-income or disadvantaged individuals. We match eligible organizations with volunteer attorneys from the leading corporations and law firms in Atlanta who can assist nonprofits with their business law matters.