Limited Scope Representation for Legal Services Providers 2009

Overview

Why You Should Attend

Shrinking budgets and growing demand are causing legal services, pro bono programs and legal clinics to search for more efficient ways to deliver legal assistance to low income litigants. This program is designed not only to provide the technical background to the field, but the practical skills to use limited scope representation in a volunteer lawyer setting. Faculty will describe successful models which they have developed and provide expert advice to program developers, risk managers and legal services providers to expand the nature of the services they offer and stretch program budgets using limited scope.

This program will provide best practices, risk management materials, fee agreements, and other materials, including sample fee agreements, client handouts, and other documents designed to set up a limited scope representation practice from scratch.

Risk managers will learn the benefits of limited scope, and proven methods to avoid risk.

Volunteer lawyers will receive everything they need to take limited scope representation from the volunteer context and turn it into a turn-key profit center in their own practices.

What You Will Learn

• The ethical rules governing limited scope representation
• The special application to pro bono, clinic and legal services programs
• Best practices and practical tools for the safe and effective practice of limited scope in a variety of contexts
• How to utilize limited scope representation to target a pool of potential paying clients who are currently unrepresented
• How to limit risk, including malpractice and insurance coverage issues
• How to identify the cases which lend themselves to limited scope representation
• Which issues and clients are not good candidates for limited scope, and how to identify them at the beginning
• How to market your limited scope practice

Note: although the program is broken into one-hour segments for convenience, it is strongly recommended that you take each segment in sequence and not skip ahead, as they build on each other.

Who Should Attend

• Pro bono recruiters
• Legal Services directors and attorneys
• Directors of "Lawyer for a Day" programs
• Law school clinicians
• Law students
• Members of law firm risk management departments
• Program developers
• Program funders
• Volunteer lawyers who want to develop skills they can take back into their "for profit" practices
• Self help program directors
• New lawyers who would like to get practical experience by volunteering to represent low income clients

Special Bonus to all Registrants

Everyone who registers will receive a link to a complete set of risk management materials, including best practices, four kinds of fee agreements, office forms, client handouts, and other materials designed to make limited scope representation both safe and profitable.

PLI Group Discounts

Groups of 4-14 from the same organization, all registering at the same time, for a PLI program scheduled for presentation at the same site, are entitled to receive a group discount. For further discount information, please contact membership@pli.edu or call (800) 260-4PLI.

Cancellations

All cancellations received 3 business days prior to the program will be refunded 100%. If you do not cancel within the allotted time period, payment is due in full. You may substitute another individual to attend the program at any time.

Schedule

October 6, 2009, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

9:00  Program Overview

M. Sue Talia, Sharon Bashan, Tiela Chalmers, Jennie Winter

9:15  How To Use Limited Scope Representation to Maximize the Benefit to Litigants and Their Lawyers

• Introduction to Limited Scope Representation
  -Definitions and context
  -Models of the various types of limitations on scope
  -Ethical rules
  -Malpractice and insurance issues
  -Client and issue screening
• Safety Nets: tools for sleeping well at night
  -Using the Risk Management Materials
  -Intake practices
  -Fee agreements
  -Changes in scope
  -Client handouts
  -Office forms
  -Work habits to develop
  -Marketing your limited scope practice

M. Sue Talia, Sharon Bashan, Tiela Chalmers, Jennie Winter

10:15  Networking Break

10:30  Examples of Successful Limited Scope Clinics, Volunteer, and Legal Services Programs and What Makes Them Work

• The panelists describe their legal services programs and the use of limited scope representation by both volunteer and staff attorneys

M. Sue Talia, Sharon Bashan, Tiela Chalmers, Jennie Winter

11:30  The Practical Issues, Pitfalls, and Templates to Create a Successful Program

• How this works in legal services - why it's good
• What do pro bono attorneys like or not like
• Overcoming barriers in firms - risk management
• Overcoming barriers in courts - explaining it, laying the groundwork
• What about creeping issues that leak into limited scope?
• Holistic advocacy - how to provide social services/referrals in the context of limited scope
• Client and issue screening
• Training staff
• Recruiting and working with volunteers
• Problem solving
• Program development and design
• Potential obstacles and how to remove them
• Program administration, tracking and quality control
• Managing the risk

M. Sue Talia, Sharon Bashan, Tiela Chalmers, Jennie Winter

12:30  Adjourn

Faculty

Co-Chair(s)

Tiela Chalmers, Executive Director, Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco
M. Sue Talia, Private Family Law Judge, Private Family Law Judge

Speaker(s)

Sharon Bashan, Director of DLVLSR, Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley
Jennie Winter, Director of Client Services, Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley

Program Attorney(s)

John M. Mola, Practising Law Institute

CLE Credit

Travel Information

San Francisco Seminar Location

PLI California Center, 685 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105. (415) 498-2800.

San Francisco Hotel Accommodations

The Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94105. Call (800) 917-7456 seven days a week from 6:00 am to 12:00 am (PDT) and mention you are attending this program at Practising Law Institute to receive the preferred rate. For online reservations, go to www.sfpalace.com/pli to receive the preferred rate.

Due to high demand we recommend reserving hotel rooms as early as possible.