The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is launching a nationwide list service to provide a forum for discussion about pro bono issues, models, initiatives, challenges, successes and any other topics relevant to any aspect of pro bono. All persons interested in promoting participation in pro bono legal services are welcome to join.

Some of you are already members of other pro bono list services. Our intention is not to supplant those other networking opportunities but rather to offer you access to as many of your national colleagues as possible. Additionally, the list service will provide you with national news items of interest. The ABA has the capacity to make these important connections and information sharing possible.

We encourage you to participate in this list service and hope that you will invite others in your community who are interested in promoting pro bono participation – volunteers, board members, judges, colleagues – to join as well.

New members can join by sending a blank email to PRO_BONO-subscribe-request@mail.abanet.org.

To participate in the list service, you may send emails to PRO_BONO@MAIL.ABANET.ORG.

1. The Pro Bono Listserve is designed to be used for discussion of any issue clearly related to pro bono. Please keep posts on topic.

2. Please do not cross post messages onto other lists without first gaining the permission of all authors quoted in the post.

3. Do not repost messages from other sources unless they are clearly related to the purpose of the Pro Bono Listserve.

4. Please do not send list commands (“unsubscribe” or “remove me from this list”) to the list itself.

5. In general, it is better to send all responses to other subscribers' posts to the list so everyone can see them. Sending them directly to the person is rather like passing notes at a meeting instead of sharing your thoughts with everyone. On the other hand, it's rather impolite to send purely personal messages to the list. Messages like, "Thanks, Skippy!" or "Me, too!" are trivial examples. Equally annoying is when someone offers to fax something to anyone who wants it and others start posting their fax numbers to get a copy. Use your best judgment.

6. Please respect other members of the Pro Bono Listserve and keep your messages to the list or to individual members courteous and constructive.

7. Please keep quoting of text from posts to which you are replying to the minimum amount to clarify your comments. Do not quote messages in their entirety.

8. Posts advertising products or services clearly related to pro bono (e.g. software, recognition venders) are encouraged as a means to share resources. Please do not post advertisements for unrelated services or products.

9. Please put at least your name, e-mail address and location on every post. This is very helpful to other subscribers. It would be nice if you gave the name of your organization, too.

10. Harassment or use of the listserve to encourage others to harass any individual or group, slander/libel or use of the listserve for any illegal purposes is grounds for immediate dismissal from the list.

11. Under no circumstances send viruses, web worms, virus alerts, spam, chain letters or other bulk e-mail postings to the Pro Bono Listserve or any member of the Pro Bono Listserve.