Lunch & Learn

A Call to Pro Bono Service
from Hon. Patricia Perez Fresard

As I begin my tenure as Chief Judge of the Third Circuit Court, I am encouraging each and every member of the Detroit Bar Association to commit to the Pro Bono/Access to Justice One Hour Challenge. Make it your New Year’s resolution to volunteer just one hour of your time, either to the Virtual Legal Services Clinic or one of the DBA’s Pro Bono Gateway organizations:

  • Volunteer just one hour of your time to perform a Pro Bono Virtual Client consultation, which is advice and counsel only. To volunteer for the Pro Bono Virtual Legal Services Clinic, email pcopeland@detroitlawyer.org.
  • Volunteer at one of several legal clinics scheduled throughout the Metro Detroit area. Check out the Pro Bono Gateway at https://www.detroitlawyer.org/probono/ for available opportunities.
  • Attend the DBA’s pre-MLK Day webinar on January 10, 2023, from noon – 1:00 p.m. featuring community service providers describing volunteer needs and opportunities enabling you to observe the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

To those attorneys who currently volunteer for the Virtual Legal Services Clinic or otherwise provide pro bono service, thank you. Pro bono service makes a difference in the lives of individual litigants and society as a whole – it is vital to maintaining accessible and equal justice, which is the core mission of the Third Circuit Court.

Any attorney who performs one hour of pro bono work between January 1 and October 31, 2023, can enter a drawing to win lunch with the Chief Judge. To enter, please click this link and give a brief description of your pro bono service.