Pro Bono Litigation Cost Reimbursement

I. BACKGROUND

The great majority of Lycoming Law Association members participate in the LLA pro bono program, providing pro bono legal services to Protection From Abuse clients as well as handling other types of cases. Pro bono referrals are handled through the North Penn Legal Services pro bono coordinator. As part of handling a pro bono case, attorneys and their offices are frequently required to expend money for routine litigation costs, and on occasion, non-routine litigation costs. While it is expected that the pro bono attorneys absorb minimal cost expenditures, where the litigation costs are more significant, it is believed that there should be a fund for reimbursement of such costs.

The Lycoming Law Foundation has created a sub-account of its Community Activities Fund for the purpose of reimbursement of such pro bono litigation costs, or a portion thereof. Decisions concerning reimbursement will be made by a sub-committee of the LLA Community Activities & Outreach Committee, consisting of the LLA Executive Director, the North Penn Legal Services Pro Bono Coordinator, and the Chairman of the Community Activities & Outreach Committee. In making discretionary decisions concerning reimbursement of pro bono litigation costs, this group (hereinafter referred to as “the subcommittee”) will utilize the procedure and guidelines as set forth hereafter.

II. PROCEDURE

Any LLA member who is handling or has handled a Lycoming County pro bono case assigned through the LLA Pro Bono Program and who desires the subcommittee to consider reimbursement of pro bono litigation costs, shall submit a request for 2 reimbursement to the LLA Executive Director who will then circulate the request to the other members of the subcommittee. The request for reimbursement should contain appropriate detail and shall be consistent with the guidelines set forth hereafter. To the extent possible, requests for reimbursement of significant costs should be submitted in advance of incurring those costs, though it is recognized that this will not always be possible. The subcommittee shall confer in person or by other means and approve or disapprove the request for reimbursement in whole or in part. Once approved, Woodlands Bank will be directed to issue a draft from the Community Activities subaccount for pro bono litigation costs reimbursement to the appropriate individual or entity.

III. GUIDELINES

The following guidelines will be applied in rendering discretionary decisions on requests for reimbursement of pro bono litigation costs:

1. Litigation cost reimbursement will be considered only for Lycoming County pro bono cases assigned through the LLA Pro Bono Program by the North Penn Legal Services pro bono coordinator. Reimbursement will be considered in cases active as of January 1, 2007, and in cases assigned after that date.
   
   
2. Routine overhead expenditures for such things as phone calls, mail, local travel, and parking, etc., shall not be considered for reimbursement.
   
   
3. Non-routine expenditure totaling $35.00 or less shall not be considered for reimbursement, and only amounts in excess of $35.00 will be considered.
   
   
4. Pro bono attorneys shall attempt to take advantage of other means for having costs waived or limited, e.g., “in forma pauperis status” for certain court costs, and the $10.00 “flat rate” for medical records from Susquehanna Health System pursuant to an agreement between SHS and North Penn Legal Services. Unnecessary expenditures because of failure to take advantage of such available means of payment or waiver of costs will not be considered for reimbursement.
   
   
5. No reimbursement for individual expenses in excess of $150.00 where advanced approval was not requested unless time limits or other circumstances make impractical attempts to obtain advanced approval.

Reimbursement request form - PDF     Reimbursement request form - Word