“Pro Bono” literally means “for the public good,” and at Lane & Waterman, we strive to live up to this definition.
Lane & Waterman attorneys provide 300 hours of pro bono service on average each year in collaboration with the HELP Regional Office of Iowa Legal Aid and Illinois’ Prairie States Legal Services. We also partner with Deere & Company and a Chicago-based law firm through Equal Justice Works to sponsor a two-year fellowship for an attorney who works to help underserved populations. Our most recent sponsored fellow began in the fall of 2018 and seeks to recruit, train, and transport pro bono attorneys and law students from urban areas to provide legal services for individuals without access to those services in rural Illinois. Learn more at Shelby Smith – Equal Justice Works.
A second partnership Lane & Waterman participates in is with the United Way of the Quad Cities Area and Deere & Company to offer a pro bono board governance series for nonprofit organizations in the region. Our attorneys collaborate with Deere attorneys and another local law firm to provide guidance in a seminar format on legal issues related to employment law, contractual agreements, financial oversight, and tax matters.
We have worked with PILI and Prairie State Legal Services to provide training to local attorneys on Powers of Attorney. This training session leads to volunteers participating in workshops where individuals can meet with a trained volunteer attorney to have their Powers of Attorney prepared at no cost.
Lane & Waterman is listed on the Public Interest Law Institute Pro Bono Recognition Roster and in May 2016, Lane & Waterman accepted the Scott County Bar Association’s William B. Waterman Volunteer Attorney of the Year Award. Typically awarded to an individual attorney who exemplifies service through pro bono work, the award was given to Lane & Waterman based on the firm’s leadership in pro bono work in the region.
Read more about our pro bono work at our Pro Bono Spotlight.
Featured Pro Bono Story
Lane & Waterman attorneys offer free assistance to low-income taxpayers through VITA