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The staff reduction means that the office will lose its managing attorney, its paralegal-community resource developer, and one secretary. The remaining attorney, Stephanie Ridder, will work three-quarter time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday) and the remaining secretaryreceptionist Margaret Clark will be available full time (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). To help supplement this skeleton staff, RLS has been working for some time now with local attorneys in its five-county service area (Culpeper, Fauquier, Orange. Madison & Rappahannock) to organize a pro bono volunteer lawyer program to assist low-income clients.
Pro bono is a shortened form of pro bono publico. which literally means “for the public good”. The idea for the local pro bono program actually preceded any knowledge of impending budget cuts and was originally motivated by the inability of the full fiveperson staff to handle the heavy demand for services (in excess of 400 cases-year) and by the desire to strengthen the working relationship with the private bar.
The local pro bono program begins operation with more than 30 of the area’s 80+ local attorneys each committed to provide up to 20 hours annually in free or reduced-fee services.
Participating attorneys will have the discretion to render services for free or to charge a reduced rate of up to $10 per hour. Clients referred by RLS to participating attorneys also will be expected to pay any necessary court costs and service fees unless they are eligible for court waiver of these costs and fees.
Culpeper office managing attorney William L Botts III, who will be transferring to the Fredericksburg office to fill a vacancy there, stated that he was extremely pleased by the pro bono participation of the private bar in a time of great need.
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