ACC NCR Ethics: Learn How to Provide Pro Bono Legal Services and Serve on a Non-Profit Board in Compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct

During this virtual, two-hour ethics CLE, attendees will hear from attorneys with diverse practices and career paths, who have extensive pro bono and non-profit Board service experience.  The panelists will examine the ethical obligations that all attorneys - and particularly in-house counsel - must consider when engaging in pro bono work and non-profit Board service. 
The part of the program will focus on pro bono service.  Panelists will speak about the ethical issues and rules of professional conduct that apply to providing pro bono legal services. 

Topics will include:  
* Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law 
* Complying with attorney training and competency requirements.   
* Ensuring malpractice insurance coverage 
* Understanding multijurisdictional practice issues in the pro bono context 
* Drafting effective retainer letters that define the scope of representation and client as well as attorney responsibilities. 

In addition, panelists will discuss how to find pro bono projects, including the benefits of associating with legal services providers, which can be the source of pro bono referrals, provide substantive expertise and mentoring, and often provide malpractice coverage for volunteer attorneys. 
 
The second part of the program will focus on non-profit Board service.  The panelists will discuss ethical obligations, the applicable rules of professional conduct, and the risks in-house lawyers face when engaging in non-profit Board service. 

Topics will include: 
* Understanding board member fiduciary duties 
* Avoiding conflicts of interest 
* Preventing board membership from bleeding into legal representation 

Over the course of two hours, the panelists will address the following rules and more:
Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct:
* Rule 1.1 Competence
* Rule 1.2 Scope of Representation
* Rule 1.3 Diligence
* Rule 1.7 Conflict of Interest: General Rule
* Rule 1.8 Conflict of Interest: Prohibited Transactions
* Rule 1.9 Conflict of Interest: Former Client
* Rule 1.10 Imputed Disqualification: General Rule
* Rule 1.13 Organization as Client
* Rule 5.3 Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistants
* Rule 5.5 Unauthorized Practice Of Law; Multijurisdictional Practice of Law
* Rule 6.1 Voluntary Pro Bono Publico Service
* Rule 6.5 Nonprofit And Court-Annexed Limited Legal Services Programs
* Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia:
* Rule 1A:5 Virginia Corporate Counsel & Corporate Counsel Registrants; Part 6 § IV, Paragraph 3(f); and
* Rule 10 Provision of Legal Services Following Determination of Major Disaster. 
Presented by Susan M. Hoffman and Sadina Montani, Partners at Crowell & Moring; Eve Runyon, President and CEO, and Alyssa Saunders, Director, Corporate Pro Bono, at Pro Bono Institute; and Michael Howson, Associate General Counsel at Verizon Media. 

2.0 Hours of VA MCLE ethics credit pending.