Letter sent by email to North Carolina Attorneys on March 15, 2021. View the official letter here.

March 15, 2021

Dear North Carolina Attorney,

The past year has been a challenging one for us all. A global pandemic has fundamentally altered how our justice system operates for many months, challenging our shared abilities to help meet the legal needs of North Carolinians. However, our state’s legal profession has risen to this challenge. Many North Carolina attorneys recognized the needs brought about by COVID-19 and provided pro bono legal services to help ensure that “justice shall be administered without favor, denial, or delay,” as is mandated by our state’s Constitution. The Supreme Court of North Carolina looks forward to celebrating the sincere efforts of North Carolina lawyers in pursuit of equal justice for all.

To that end, the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, an initiative of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, is collecting information about pro bono legal services provided in the past year at ncprobono.org/report. The March 31st deadline to submit a voluntary pro bono report is approaching – please do not miss your chance to share information about your 2020 volunteer activities. Attorneys who report at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services will be inducted into this year’s class of the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society and will receive a certificate from the Supreme Court of North Carolina recognizing their achievements.

Thank you to those of you who have reported your information in the past and to those of you who have done so much to address the unmet legal needs that exist in our state. We look forward to hearing from you and to celebrating your efforts again.

Sincerely,

Paul Newby

Chief Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina