Pro BONO Committee HISTORY?

In 2010, PACO’s Pro Bono Committee launched its own effort, the PACO / LASCO Pro Bono Wills Clinics. We collaborated with LASCO and worked alongside attorneys at these events. Paralegals actually prepared estate planning documents for senior citizens, on site at their residential facilities across Central Ohio. Over the years, we held over 175 Wills Clinics and provided services to over 1500 senior citizens. With the retirement of Teresa Scharf, our Pro Bono Committee Chair for 15 years, this program has been placed on hiatus.

WHAT WE DO :

Members of PACO’s Pro Bono Committee participate in a variety of opportunities to assist attorneys in providing legal services to individuals and groups of people who cannot afford to retain private counsel. PACO paralegals volunteer at local area Brief-Advice Clinics, at which they meet with clients and conduct interviews, noting general information about their legal concerns so that attorneys can then meet individually with each client and not have to ask those introductory questions. This provides paralegals with hands-on involvement by interacting with clients and different areas of law ranging from domestic/family law issues, criminal and record expungement, landlord/tenant disputes, mortgage foreclosure challenges, bankruptcy, immigration, and other questions. These Brief-Advice Clinics are all administered by the Legal Aid Society of Southeastern and Central Ohio (“LASCO”), and PACO’s paralegal members are welcome and encouraged to participate.
Additional pro bono opportunities through LASCO and other agencies in Central Ohio are available to PACO members. Information regarding these opportunities are provided in our weekly PACO News email. Opportunities include volunteering at expungement clinics, drivers' license reinstatement clinics, and immigration clinics.

THE WILLS CLINIC

This is an award-winning program that has been recognized locally and nationally. In 2020, PACO’s Pro Bono Committee received a $5,000 grant with which to purchase new laptop computers and printers for use exclusively at the Wills Clinics in providing our services. This program is currently on hiatus.

INTERESTED? :

Learn more about PACO’s Pro Bono Committee and how to become involved.

CONTACT US

COMMITTEE CHAIR :

RECOGNITION :

2017, 2019 & 2024 - National Federation of Paralegal Associations
Association Pro Bono Award for outstanding dedication and service in Pro Bono Service.

Questions about PACO? : president@pacoparalegals.org

Mailing Address :
P.O. Box 1582
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1582

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