by Betty Zimpfer, Vice President & Director of Profession Development
vppd@paralegals.org
In recognition and support of pro bono work among paralegals, The Affiliates, one of the industry's leading legal staffing services, has once again joined with the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA) to sponsor The Affiliates Paralegal Pro Bono Award.
This award will be presented at the NFPA Fall Convention in October 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia. The winning paralegal will select the pro bono project to receive a $1,000 contribution. The winner will also receive an all-expense paid trip to the convention and be recognized with a plaque presented by The Affiliates and NFPA.
The Affiliates Paralegal Pro Bono Award program is open to all paralegals. One may self-nominate or nominate a colleague. NFPA membership is not required. The required nomination information can be found at www.paralegals.org/News/Awards/probonoapp.html. The deadline for submission is August 15, 1999.
The award was created to draw attention to the efforts of the thousands of paralegals who put NFPA's ethical guidelines into practice. NFPA's Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility sets forth that "a paralegal shall be sensitive to the legal needs of the public and shall promote the development and implementation of programs that address those needs." Further, "a paralegal shall support bona fide efforts to meet the need for legal services by those unable to pay reasonable customary fees; for example, participation in pro bono projects and volunteer work."
Their work is usually conducted under the approval and supervision of attorneys at the numerous law firms and corporate legal departments nationwide that take on pro bono projects.
"This award will help promote the outstanding pro bono efforts of paralegals that are underway throughout the country," said Kathleen Call, executive director of The Affiliates. "We are pleased to be working with NFPA on this worthy cause and invite paralegals nationwide to take part by submitting their work for consideration."
The Affiliates is a leader in specialized legal staffing, working with law firms and corporate legal departments nationwide to place professionals ranging from paralegals and litigation support specialists to legal administrators. The Affiliates has locations in major markets throughout the United States.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, NFPA is a non-profit professional organization representing more than 17,000 paralegals in the United States and Canada. NFPA is the national voice and the standard of excellence for the paralegal profession through its work on the issues of regulation, ethics and education.
