A pledge campaign open until February, 2021 from the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys, and the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys offers lawyers updates about important pro bono opportunities.
National Pro Bono Week is the last week in October (25 – 31). Pro bono work is an important aspect of career development, and taking action in alignment with our values is key to our individual and collective well-being.
Volunteers are welcome to join the Walk in Solidarity for Social Change Pledge Campaign launched in association with the September 16th Walk for Solidarity at anytime between now and February. Those who registered for the Walk in Solidarity for Social Change were automatically enrolled to receive opportunities with the option to opt out. As explained on the MBLA website,
“The Pledge Campaign provides attorneys with the opportunity to take action and continue to use their knowledge of the law to help create change. We are asking for each attorney to agree to commit, at minimum, ten hours to pro bono or community service initiatives to help advocate and educate communities about their rights. While COVID-19 has impacted nearly every facet of our daily lives, it has disproportionately affected communities of color. We have witnessed repeated acts of racism, bias and lack of compassion with interactions between diverse populations (in particular, Black men and women) and the police. We continue to read stories where Black men and women are prosecuted, harassed and questioned for doing mundane actions like shopping, walking into an apartment building, gardening, bird-watching, flying first class, walking into a courtroom and being identified as everyone except the attorney.
Enroll in the Pledge Campaign here. You’ll receive updates about upcoming pro bono and volunteer opportunities as well as surveys to report your hours.
The deadline to complete the minimum 10 hours is February 15, 2021, and individuals are welcome to pledge more than 10 hours. The total hours donated will be announced at the end of February.
In addition to receiving updates on opportunities, participants are encouraged to partner with one of the organizations affiliated with the Walk for Solidarity for Social Change demonstration for trainings and resources you might need. Each organization hosts a number of trainings and volunteer opportunities on matters such as Housing, CORI sealing, Restraining Orders, and more. Each organization will have information about upcoming trainings on their websites for you to review at your convenience. Participants are encouraged to help in areas outside those they practice in by seeking the trainings and resources you need from partner organizations:
