A key component of our mission at Pro Bono Net is to use technology to build a virtual community of public interest lawyers. This virtual community exists both online, in the network of organizations that use the technology, and offline, in creating connections that might not have existed previously.

We are often asked how building this virtual community translates to an increased number of private attorneys taking pro bono cases.  Recently two staff members from Minnesota host organizations in our network communicated about a volunteer who had signed up for ProJusticeMN.org -- the general civil law practice area for attorneys in Minnesota. The host of ProJusticeMN (Janny Grice), who approved the attorney's registration, noticed that the volunteer had prior experience in Asylum law and sent off a quick email to the MN host of the probono.net/Asylum practice area (Michele Garnett McKenzie), pointing out this expertise. Within the week, this Minnesota attorney went from surfing the web to representing a refugee seeking asylum!

Below is the email exchange about how the PBN network facilitated this connection:

-----Original Message-----
From: Janny Grice
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 11:36 AM
To: Michele Garnett McKenzie
Subject: projusticemn.org

Suzette Schommer recently signed on to projusticemn.org. She is an attorney with US Bancorp.  She indicated she would be willing to take a pro bono case in the next six months and she noted that she "represented asylum seekers during a trip to TX while in law school, through the law school immigration clinic, and while clerking for an immigration attorney while in law school."

Janny Grice
MSBA Online Legal Services Manager
http://www.projusticemn.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Michele Garnett McKenzie
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 10:21 AM
To: Janny Grice
Subject: RE: projusticemn.org

Janny,

Suzette agreed to take a hearing scheduled for trial next spring. Thanks so much for forwarding the contact!

Michele

Michele Garnett McKenzie
Attorney at Law
Director, Refugee & Immigrant Program
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
www.mnadvocates.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Janny Grice
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 10:24 AM
To: Nancy Kleeman
Subject: FW: projusticemn.org

It's nice to get feedback.



-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Kleeman
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 11:25 AM
To: Janny Grice
Cc: Mark O'Brien
Subject: RE: projusticemn.org

Terrific!

Nancy Kleeman
Access to Justice Director
Minnesota State Bar Association
www.mnbar.org