Growing need from citizens who need a lawyer and can’t afford one – and an increasing number of cases that could be placed if a larger pool of lawyers volunteered to take them – mark the current state of pro bono in Virginia.

A survey of 20 direct-service nonprofit legal providers in Virginia found that they placed 5,916 cases in 2023. They could have addressed over 9,000 cases with more pro bono volunteers. And the need for those volunteers is growing.

The survey was part of the fifth biennial report providing a comprehensive overview of pro bono activities, needs and resources in Virginia. It was prepared for the Pro Bono Council of The Virginia Bar Association for the Chief Justice’s 2024 Pro Bono Summit, which the VBA sponsors every other year. This year’s meeting is June 6 at the Supreme Court of Virginia.

The gap of 3,100 cases that could have been placed with more pro bono volunteers compares with 1,820 cases two years ago.

The State of Pro Bono in Virginia 2024 report notes that the 3,100-case gap does not describe Virginia’s total additional pro bono need. Rather, it points out the additional cases that could have been placed by the responding agencies at their 2023 staffing levels.

The survey also found that the number of placed cases has fully recovered from declines seen during the pandemic. The cases placed in 2023 reflect an 82.7% increase from those placed in the previous report as well as a rise from the cases placed in 2019.

The survey also rated the relative level of client demand, time needed and complexity for each case type and provided Top Ten needs results, seen below.

Additionally, the report updates statistics on Virginia Free Legal Answers, an online portal started in 2016 to provide legal assistance to low-income citizens through attorney volunteers. In 2023, those volunteers answered 1,686 questions, but 550 questions were not answered. More volunteers are needed. The average time taken to answer a question of average complexity is 21 minutes.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities and to get involved, review the full report, contact the providers directly, and visit the VBA Pro Bono Council page for more information and resources.