Samaritan Center program honored for pro bono services

The Samaritan Center Legal Care Program recently received the 2016 Missouri Bar Young Lawyer's Section Pro Bono Publico Award for its work to encourage young or newly admitted lawyers to provide pro bono services.

Legal Care welcomes newly licensed lawyers to participate in its program by pre-screening potential client cases or taking clients on referral. Legal Care then supports these new attorneys through its volunteer resources, including local attorney mentors, which helps new attorneys gain experience while easing their transition from school to legal employment. Legal Care also welcomes law students as part of the pre-screening team, where they can see the real-world application of their legal education and develop early concern for the legal needs of the poor.

Since its inception, Legal Care has received approximately 4,000 requests for legal help. A total of 162 attorneys and mediators have volunteered their time by pre-screening cases or taking cases on referral.

Samaritan Center officials said because of its development of innovative approaches to the delivery of volunteer legal services, Legal Care has been a pioneer in the use of limited scope representation to help otherwise self-represented clients navigate the legal system. With limited scope representation, the pro bono attorney and the needy client work together to solve the person's problem in a time-efficient way.

To meet unmet or underserved populations with legal needs, Legal Care has also been dedicated to helping those without financial resources have access to justice, assisting clients up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level. These clients often are ineligible for traditional legal aid due to conflicts of interest or lack of available attorney resources.

The group has also achieved getting legislation that contributes to legal services to the poor.

In 2004, Legal Care initiated an effort to pass of SB 1247, which provides free malpractice insurance to attorneys who work without compensation. The coverage makes it possible for retired, government and corporate attorneys to help the poor.

The Missouri Bar also honored attorney Mary Browning, of Jefferson City, with its annual Pro Bono Publico Award for her long-standing commitment to pro bono service. A Legal Care volunteer attorney since 2005, Browning has helped numerous clients over the years and donated more than 134 hours of free or reduced-fee legal help to the needy.