The Green Pro Bono Process
For Prospective Clients
Contact Us
Due Diligence
Matching Process
Pro Bono Relationship
Prospective clients fill out our application to Request Pro Bono Legal Services.
Clients are introduced to our team through partnership channels, such as incubator programs and universities, or through our website.
The Green Pro Bono team reviews each application and reaches out to prospective clients for an Intake Meeting.
During the Intake Meeting, we discuss the organization's environmental mission, the requested legal work, and the stage of the organization's growth. This initial meeting helps us to determine whether the organization is a proper fit for our network of pro bono legal professionals and is a way for us to help each client identify any additional legal needs they may have.
Following the Intake Meeting, if the organization meets our required criteria, we distribute the legal request to our network of law firms and lawyers that have the requisite specialization and experience.
The matching process can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to find the right lawyer. Due to the nature of our services, we cannot guarantee a match will be found, but we work to find one until a client lets us know that they no longer need assistance or are moving forward with another option.
Once a law firm or lawyer has expressed interest in working with an organization, we will alert the client.
If the client chooses to move forward, we introduce the teams on a virtual call where we clarify the scope of work and make sure it is a good fit.
If the organization and pro bono attorney choose to work with each other following this meeting, it is up to the client to manage the relationship with their pro bono counsel.
Should additional legal needs come up, we ask that our clients bring those needs back to Green Pro Bono to respect their volunteer attorneys' time and the original scope of work. We are happy to start a new matching process!
For Attorney Volunteers and Pro Bono Coordinators
Our process starts with due diligence. When a Request for Legal Services is received, a Green Pro Bono team member screens the application and schedules an intake meeting, helping the prospective client to define their legal needs, verifying the authenticity of the request and assuring that the applicant is at the appropriate stage for legal aid. While Green Pro Bono does not offer legal services directly, our client-facing staff are barred attorneys who assure that the intake process is thorough and that any request sent out to our pro bono network is ready to go.
Following our intake process and initial client counseling, we distribute pre-screened requests to our pro bono attorney network. This network is composed of pro bono coordinators, pro bono staff, individual attorneys, solo practitioners, in-house counsel, law students and retired attorneys, among others. Once distributed, we match the pro bono opportunities with interested lawyers and law firms depending on the specialty and experience required, and coordinate a meeting with a Green Pro Bono staff member, the client and the volunteer attorney to clarify the scope of work and hand over the pre-packaged legal request.
Once a matter has been formally handed off to a pro bono legal team, Green Pro Bono remains on call throughout the pro bono services relationship to assure that any of the client's follow-up needs that fall outside of the original scope of work are handled appropriately, either by the existing team, forming a new team within the same firm, or reengaging the client in a new matching process.