Following years of collaboration, the California Pro Bono Portal launched in January 2024 as a community-grown technology platform informed by the perspectives of legal aid organizations, law schools, law firms, and other community partners throughout California. The Portal aims to increase access to free, high-quality legal services for people of limited financial means, diverse client groups, rural communities, and other vulnerable populations by creating tech-enhanced space for legal aid organizations to publish, and volunteers to find, pro bono legal opportunities. Since the launch, 30 legal aid organizations and more than 500 volunteers have registered for the Portal, creating opportunities for volunteers to "match" with legal aid organizations, resulting in expand pro bono legal services, in a wide range of legal issues, throughout California. This Session will provide opportunities for attendees to: (1) learn about the California Pro Bono Portal; (2) gain insights from Portal data, specifically about how the Portal can inform and enhance delivery models for an organization and as part of the broader California legal aid ecosystem; (3) explore the role of the California Pro Bono Portal in supporting local and statewide legal aid and pro bono initiatives, including AB 2505 (pro bono reporting), enhanced community-informed legal services to diverse client groups, and expanded legal services in rural communities; and (4) learn practical best practices from experienced Portal users and ideas for future enhancements.
