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Pro Bono

For information about the GAP Pro Bono committee please contact Pro Bono Chair, Michael Misenheimer.

Help the Daily Report select nominees for the 2008 Pro Bono Awards
The Daily Report values the pro bono work Georgia lawyers provide in our community. That is why they are honoring the men and women — and the firms that support the endeavors — who log thousands of hours each year providing legal services and access to justice to underrepresented groups and individuals.

Firms and individuals are encouraged to self-nominate. Also, you may nominate multiple individuals in multiple categories.

Who do you think should be recognized at the Daily Report's First Annual Pro Bono Awards luncheon to be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on April 29, 2008?

Please click the image below to go to the nomination page. Deadline for nominations is Monday, February 25, 2008.

GAP Sponsors the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s Annual Winetasting Event
On November 1, 2007, GAP helped sponsor the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer’s Foundation’s annual winetasting event.

The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation is a non-profit organization that coordinates the provision of free legal representation to individuals who would not otherwise have access to an attorney through the generosity of attorneys in our community. For more information about their programs and to see a listing of the cases they are currently seeking to place, please go to www.avlf.org.

AVLF is funded by an add-on to each civil filing in the State and Magistrate Courts of Fulton County, by grants from the Georgia Bar Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia, the Fulton County Department of Human Services, Altrea, Hedge Funds Care, Children's Justice Committee and through private donations.

The Winetasting Fundraiser has become AVLF's signature event, and is eagerly awaited by the Atlanta legal community each fall. Leading Atlanta law firms volunteer to host the event, contributing office space, staff and hors d'oeuvres. The Winetasting draws a crowd of over 500 Atlanta lawyers, accountants and their spouses and friends. It is their biggest fund raiser of the year and one of their greatest sources of funding.

Upcoming Pro Bono Trainings/Opportunities

As a reminder, if you are conducting pro bono work, please remember to report your hours to Michael Misenheimer by completing the Hours Reporting form found on the GAP website. GAP strongly supports the pro bono precepts espoused by the National Federation of Paralegals and encourages all paralegals to aspire to NFPA's goal of twenty-four hours of pro bono service annually per paralegal.

Pro Bono Hours Reporting form
Please use this form for reporting your pro bono hours.  Complete this form and return it to GAP Director of Pro Bono, Michael Misenheimer.  Pro Bono Hours Reporting Form.

Presentations Given by GAP at the 2007 NFPA Pro Bono Convention

Building or Expanding a Pro Bono Program

Past Projects

Truancy Intervention Project Training
Join the Truancy Intervention Project in the fight against school failure and make a difference in a child’s life today!

The Truancy Intervention Project (TIP) is a fifteen-year-old program of the Atlanta Bar Foundation whose mission is to serve children and families at the court and school levels that are in violation of the Georgia Compulsory School Attendance Law. TIP provides advocacy and other resources to Georgia children and their families to prevent school failure.

The volunteer is an advocate on behalf of the child's best interest. The volunteer works with the children and their families to provide the necessary guidance and resources to help ensure their attendance and success in school.

Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Living Wills/Health Care Power of Attorney
Deloitte is offering tax assistance to low- income families. They have offered space in their tax clinic for AVLF to offer assistance with living wills and health care power of attorneys to the same clients.

The first three Saturdays in February the 3rd, 10th and 17th from 8:30a.m. - 1:00pm.

There are currently more than enough volunteers signed up for this pro bono project.  Please check back for our next pro bono project.

The Breast Cancer Legal Project
The Georgia Association of Paralegals is proud to team with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society for an exciting new pro bono opportunity, exclusive to GAP members.

What Is The Breast Cancer Legal Project?

The Atlanta Legal Aid Society’s Breast Cancer Legal Project addresses the obstacles that low-income women face in diagnosis and treatment. The Breast Cancer Legal Project wants to ensure that the patients obtain medical care and have handled cases involving private health insurance and Medicaid issues. The Project also handles many cases for patients ranging from divorces, child support recovery, debt relief, evictions- just to name a few. Although these issues are not necessarily a direct issue stemming from the cancer, they are issues that affect the treatment and recovery of the patient.

How Can You Help?

Paralegals are invited to participate by conducting client intake interviews at various cancer treatment centers around Atlanta including the Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital. Paralegals will be trained to conduct these interviews and report the results back to Atlanta Legal Aid. The attorneys with the Breast Cancer Legal Project will then review the intake and see if they can provide legal assistance to breast cancer patients.

How Much Time Is Involved?

There is a minimal time commitment involved with this project. In fact, you can make a difference by volunteering 2-4 hours per month. Shifts will be available the 1st Mondays of the month from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital as well as the 4th Mondays of the month from 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

How Do You Get Involved?

A training session will be held on January 11, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. The training will be held at the downtown office of Atlanta Legal Aid Society located at 151 Spring Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Please register with Michael Misenheimer, Director of Pro Bono via email at gagapprobono@yahoo.com or (678) 315-8763.

The Truancy Intervention Project

The Truancy Intervention Project (TIP) is a fifteen-year-old program of the Atlanta Bar Foundation whose mission is to serve children and families at the court and school levels that are in violation of the Georgia Compulsory School Attendance Law. TIP provides advocacy and other resources to Georgia children and their families to prevent school failure.

Fulton County Child Support Abandonment Calendar

This was a great opportunity that made a visible difference.  GAP was the first group of paralegals to participate in this project. To read more about his project please go to our publications page and look at the April edition of the Paragraph.

GAP strongly supports the pro bono precepts espoused by the National Federation of Paralegals and encourages all paralegals to aspire to NFPA's goal of twenty-four hours of pro bono service annually per paralegal.  GAP's pro bono activities are coordinated by its Pro Bono Committee.