The State Bar of Michigan is joining the American Bar Association and many other states in recognizing October as Pro Bono Awareness Month to highlight the need for and importance of pro bono legal assistance.
More than 1,200 Michigan attorneys provided more than 42,500 hours of pro bono service last year alone. One of them is John Siers, a construction and commercial litigator from Detroit.
“This is the privilege of practicing law: to use the vocation of law to help the individual and the system function better,” said Siers, who is one of more than 70 solo practitioners in Michigan who provided more than 100 hours of pro bono service in 2020.
Pro bono work doesn’t have to be complicated, Siers said. It can be as simple as helping someone find and fill out a form or expunge a past criminal offense. For an attorney, these are routine matters. For clients, they can be lifechanging.
“Law is not simply a profession, and it comes with a responsibility to assist those who may not otherwise be able to help themselves,” Siers said.
Pro bono service is a key component of the State Bar of Michigan’s “A Lawyer Helps” program, which also encompasses multiple volunteer efforts spearheaded by attorneys statewide. For more information, visit the “A Lawyer Helps” webpage at www.michbar.org/alawyerhelps/home.
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