Low Bono Section

The 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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COVID-19 Law Office Reopening Guide 

Check out WSBA's new Reopening Safely: A Guide to Washington State Law Offices produced by the WSBA Coronavirus Response Task Force.

Low Bono Section Special Meeting and Social Hour

Join Us! August 18 at 5 pm

This 30-minute special meeting to review our section bylaws immediately follows the monthly executive committee meeting at 4 pm, which all are also welcome to attend. 

While we do not have any proposed changes at this time, we are reviewing the section bylaws to consider if changes are needed, and if so, what those changes may be. 

Please also join us for our remote social hour after the meeting - it's lots of fun! Connect on your device (video not required), sip your beverage of choice, and spend some relaxing time chatting with us. We hope to "see" you on the 18th.

Meeting ID

WEBINAR - Register Now!

Putting the Gears in Order: Structuring Your Firm to Serve the Moderate Means Client

Developed in partnership with the WSBA Solo and Small
Practice Section and the WSBA Low Bono Section

Learn to structure your practice to best serve moderate means clients. Understand the needs of this large client group and pattern your legal services to:

• Best use workflow technology
• Limit scopes of representation
• Keep within ethical guidelines
• Use structured fee agreements
• Make a profit

When: July 31, 2020, noon–1:30 p.m. PDT

Credits: 1.5 CLE credits (1 Other + .5 Ethics)

Tuition: Free for members of the Solo & Small Practice Section and Low Bono Section (discount applied at checkout); $35 Standard/Non-Section Members; $0 - Law Students (after adding seminar to cart, enter promo code LSNN and click checkout)

Faculty: 

Marya Noyes - Genesis Law Firm, PLLC, Everett

Mark Fucile - Fucile & Reising LLP, Portland

Jordan Couch - Palace Law Offices, University Place

Register Online Here.

For Downloadable Program Information Click Here.

Congratulations, Incoming Executive Committee Members!

Below are the results of the Section Executive Committee election. Thank you for voting!

For more information about the Section and its executive committee positions, please read the section's bylaws.  Candidates listed in alphabetical order by position.

Chair-elect: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2020, and ending Sept. 30, 2021.

Sart Rowe

Treasurer: two-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2020, and ending Sept. 30, 2022.

Sarah Bove

Secretary: one-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2020, and ending Sept. 30, 2021.

Marya Noyes

At-Large Member (up to 10 positions open): two-year position beginning Oct. 1, 2020, and ending Sept. 30, 2022.

Vacant

Questions? 

Feel free to contact any member of the current Section Executive Committee or email sections@wsba.org.

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 non-lawyers alike) are invited to join the low bono community discussions on our Yahoo Group. Membership in the section is not currently required to join the Yahoo Group.

Stay informed of Low Bono Section activities on Twitter and Facebook.

Mentoring

The WSBA Low Bono Section has a Yahoo Group for mentorship.

Yahoo! Group Q&A

All Washington professionals with an interest in low bono (lawyers and non-lawyers alike), are invited to join the discussions in our Yahoo! Group list serve. Section membership is not required to join the Yahoo! Group. Click the "join" button here.

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.

The Money Barrier: Annual Low Bono Law Conference

Many people are "priced out" of the justice system, with incomes too high to qualify for legal aid, but too low to afford an attorney. Can the legal profession do anything about this justice gap? Absolutely!  We can, we are, and you can do it, too. On Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, the WSBA Low Bono Section and Seattle University School of Law CLE held their First Annual Low Bono Law Conference. This full-day CLE explained how to run a flourishing law practice that includes an intentional commitment to serving clients with limited financial resources.

Executive Committee

Meetings

The Executive Committee of the Low Bono Section conducts meetings at the WSBA offices on the third Thursday of each month, 4-5:30 p.m. It is possible to participate by telephone by calling 206-504-3881, and using the passcode 95473. Please contact committee members for any further details needed on their upcoming meetings.

If you have questions about the Low Bono Section, contact any member of the Section's Executive Committee. For all other inquiries, contact sections@wsba.org.