Outstanding Collaborative Pro Bono Award: NCBA SOGI LGBTQ+ Legal Clinics
Presented to a group of law firms or attorneys, or a local, district, statewide bar organization whose members have engaged in significant and notable legal services or have contributed outstanding support and assistance to the maintenance of pro bono legal services for low-income individuals. This award recognizes creativity in the provision of pro bono legal services as well as innovative approaches to engage and encourage North Carolina attorneys to participate in pro bono legal service. Honorees will have demonstrated a commitment to pro bono service by engaging a group of attorneys in a cooperative pro bono effort that has deep impact on the lives of low-income North Carolinians.
The NCBA Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee created the LGBTQ+ Legal Clinics, specifically Name Change Clinics, with the goal of supporting transgender North Carolinians in drafting the required documents and filings for seeking a legal name change to affirm their gender. Seeking name changes for transgender individuals is a vital part to living fully authentic lives. Often, individuals in this community do not have the financial resources to afford an attorney or live in a legal desert where there are not affirming attorneys available.
SOGI Pro Bono and Public Service co-chairs Katie Jenifer and Collins Saint were actively involved in helping law schools with these clinics and sought to streamline and standardize these important clinics under the umbrella of the NCBA SOGI Committee. The SOGI LGBTQ+ Clinics were approved by the NCBA Pro Bono Committee in March 2023. Since that time, SOGI has held 9 clinics collaborating with Equality NC, Elon Law, Wake Forest Law, the NCBA Estate Planning & Fiduciary Duty Section, and LGBTQ+ Centers in several counties. The clinics have served over 100 clients and engaged over 90 attorney, law student, and paralegal volunteers.
The NCBA SOGI Committee continues to work on ways to expand pro bono opportunities and is currently working to develop a series of webinars and brief advice clinics on legal issues that most often impact members of the LGBTQ+ community.