ADD new Rule 16-902, as follows:

Rule 16-902.  LOCAL PRO BONO COMMITTEES AND PLANS

(a)  Local Pro Bono Committees
    (1)  Creation
    There is a Local Pro Bono Committee for each county.
    (2)  Members

 (A)  The Local Pro Bono Committee consists of no more than 11 members, as follows:
        (i) the District Public Defender for the county or an assistant public defender selected by the District Public Defender;
        (ii) at least three but no more than five lawyers, appointed by the president of the county bar association, who practice in the county and at least one of whom is an officer of the county bar association;
        (iii) at least two but no more than three representatives nominated by legal services organizations and pro bono referral organizations that provide services in the county and selected by  the County Administrative Judge and the District Administrative Judge; and

        (iv) at least one but no more than two persons from the general public, appointed jointly by the County Administrative Judge and the District Administrative Judge.

    (3)  Chair
    The Committee shall elect a member to serve as chair.

    (4)  Consultants
    The Committee may designate a reasonable number of consultants from among court personnel or representatives of other organizations or agencies concerned with the provision of legal services to persons of limited means.

  (b) Duties of the Committee
 The Local Pro Bono Committee shall:
    (1) assess the needs in the county for pro bono legal service, including the needs of non-English speaking, minority, and isolated populations;

    (2) determine the nature and extent of existing and proposed free or low-cost legal services, both staff and volunteer, for persons of limited means in the county;

    (3) establish goals and priorities for pro bono legal service  in the county;

    (4) prepare a Local Pro Bono Action Plan as provided in section (c) of this Rule;

    (5) in accordance with the policies and directives established by the Standing Committee or the Court of Appeals, implement or monitor the implementation of the Plan; and

    (6) submit an annual report about the Plan to the Standing Committee.

  (c)  Local Pro Bono Action Plans
    (1)  Generally
    The Local Pro Bono Committee shall develop, in coordination with existing legal services organizations and pro bono referral organizations that provide services in the county, a detailed Local Pro Bono Action Plan to promote pro bono legal service to meet the needs of persons of limited means in the county.  The Plan shall be submitted to the Standing Committee within one year after creation of the Local Committee.  With the approval of the Standing Committee, a single joint Pro Bono Action Plan may be developed for two or more adjoining counties, by collaboration of the Local Pro Bono Committees. 
    (2)  Contents
    The Local Pro Bono Action Plan shall address the following matters:
      (A)  screening applicants for pro bono representation and referring them to appropriate referral sources or panels of participating attorneys;
      (B)  establishing or expanding attorney referral panels;
      (C)  continuing and supporting current services provided by existing pro bono and legal services organizations;
      (D)  a procedure for matching cases with individual attorney expertise, including specialized panels;
      (E)  support for participating attorneys, including

        (i) providing litigation resources and out-of-pocket expenses for pro bono cases;
        (ii)  providing or supplementing legal malpractice insurance for participating attorneys;
        (iii) providing legal education and training for participating attorneys in specialized areas of the law relevant to pro bono legal service, including consultation services with attorneys who have expertise in areas of law in which participating attorneys seek to provide pro bono service; and
        (iv) recommending court scheduling and docketing preferences for pro bono cases;

      (F) methods of informing lawyers about the ways in which they may provide pro bono legal service;

Committee note: Ways in which lawyers may provide pro bono legal service include assisting in the screening and intake process;interviewing prospective clients and providing basic consultation; participating in pro se clinics or other programs in which lawyers provide advice and counsel, assist persons in drafting letters or documents, or assist persons in planning transactions or resolving disputes without the need for litigation; representing clients through case referral; acting as co-counsel with legal service providers or other participating attorneys; providing consultation to legal service providers for case reviews and evaluations; training or consulting with other participating attorneys or staff attorneys affiliated with a legal service provider; engaging in legal research and writing; and, if qualified through training and experience, serving as a mediator, arbitrator, or neutral evaluator.

      (G) coordinating implementation of the Plan with the courts, county bar associations, and other agencies and organizations;

      (H) the number of hours of pro bono legal services needed annually to meet the needs of persons of limited means in the county; and
      (I) programs to recognize lawyers who provide pro bono legal services.

Source:  This Rule is new.

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