CILA is excited to release a new resource created with the ABA Commission on Immigration. The ABA CILA & COI Pro Bono Program Resources & Templates Toolkit is a 92-page resource that details best practices, considerations, and resources for organizations with new or evolving pro bono programs working with children, youth, and/or families in immigration cases. The Toolkit includes templates for programs to use in both PDF format (within the Toolkit) and Word document [Word link] formats, for ease. This allows for organizations to easily modify the templates to meet their specific needs.
Knowing that it can be challenging to start and build a pro bono program from the ground-up, CILA and COI hope that the Toolkit will help ease the load for new programs. Additionally, much of the Toolkit can be utilized to plug into existing programs as well. One aspect of the resource focuses on a Q&A with CILA and COI staff to provide prompts and insights regarding setting up pro bono program processes and infrastructure. This is a key part of any pro bono program, so we hope it helps pro bono staff think through developing and refining program systems.
Additionally, both CILA and COI create resources to assist pro bono coordinators in pro bono program development, including offering recorded trainings and written resources that can be easily shared with pro bono attorneys to lighten the load on pro bono coordinators. The Toolkit includes lists of these resources to help make them easy to find and share. The Toolkit includes resources that can be given to pro bono attorneys working on immigration cases for children and families such as an ethics chart, a resource list, and a FAQ on working with interpreters and translators. Templates cover foundational agreements and documents such as intake forms, a pro bono agreement, an initial referral form, and closing letters, to name a few.
This is the latest resource posted on CILA’s Creative Pro Bono Models webpage. CILA regularly includes expert pro bono tips, resources, ideas, and creative pro bono program models on the webpage to support pro bono coordinators and others that work with pro bono attorneys.