Second Acts: Matching Experienced Attorneys With Opportunities for Pro Bono Service

“The nation today faces breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.”
John Gardner

Thanks to volunteer attorneys, Kids Matter Inc. does not see insoluble problems; we see breathtaking opportunities.

Children in foster and kinship care face serious challenges:

• Instability. A child will change placements an average of three times while in foster care.
• Educational problems. Hundreds of foster youth fall behind in school due to turmoil in their personal lives.
• Poverty. A 2008 study found 78% of relative caregivers lived on a family income of less than $25,000 a year. The study found the average family size was two adults and three children.

The challenges do not stop when foster children face legal issues. Up to 80% of poor households in Wisconsin confront legal issues without the help of legal counsel, according to the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Fortunately, there are experienced attorneys who can lend a hand. Roughly one out of five Americans in the workforce is over the age of 55, including attorneys.

If even 5% of the transitioning and retired attorneys participate in a legal services program it will double the number of attorneys involved primarily in public interest work.

“Second Acts®” is a national pilot program designed to support attorneys transitioning into second careers and help them find social justice volunteer work that suits their high-levels dof expertise. The Pro Bono Institute at Georgetown University Law Center has selected Kids Matter to take part in this volunteer attorney project designed to make the connection between senior attorneys and challenges that need their leadership. The program is intended to match experienced attorneys with expanded pro bono service opportunities.

Second Acts Fact Sheet

• The Pro Bono Institute is launching the Second Acts® pilot program with four partner organizations:
  • Kids Matter Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Legal Aid Society of New York
  • Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association
  • Bar Association of San Francisco’s Volunteer Legal Services Program and Bay Area Legal Aid
• Kids Matter Second Acts® currently consists of a Mediation Project, which helps families find creative solutions to their problems, and an Education Advocacy Project, which ensures children are enrolled and attending school.
• Kids Matter Second Acts® provides free training and support to the lawyers involved with the program.

If you are interested in learning more about Second Acts® or other opportunities to get involved, please contact attorney Anita Cruise at 414-344-1220 ex. 14 or email adam@kidsmatterinc.org for more information.