Runyon honored for pro bono efforts by ABA committee

L. Phillips Runyon III

Attorney L. Phillips Runyon III of the Runyon Law Office in Peterborough has been recognized by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service as a pro bono leader in his work with New Hampshire Free Legal Answers.

Sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and launched in 2016, ABAFreeLegalAnswers.org is an on-line virtual legal clinic through which income-eligible clients can post civil legal services questions to be answered by pro bono attorneys from their jurisdiction. Currently,

40 jurisdictions are live for client access and an additional five jurisdictions have committed to participate.

New Hampshire Free Legal Answers, one of two pro bono programs administered by the NH Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service, allows qualifying users (up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level) to post civil legal questions to be answered by volunteer attorneys. Topics include family, divorce, custody, housing, eviction, homelessness, consumer rights, financial, work, employment, unemployment, health and disability, civil rights, income maintenance and juvenile and education law.

Runyon was recognized Feb. 8 by the committee for his service, which included answering 113 questions for Free Legal Answers in New Hampshire.

According to NHBA Lawyer Referral Service Coordinator Jennifer Greewald, Free Legal Answers “is for everyone, whether [they] are just starting out, or nearing retirement. “As a volunteer, you have the freedom to select the question(s) to answer, when to answer them, and how much time to invest,” she says. “[It’s] a great pro bono opportunity for any attorney looking to give back.”