Pro Bono Design & Management Accelerator · Pro Bono Design & Management Accelerator March...

Pro Bono Design & Management Accelerator

March 11, 2020 1

Session 2

Volunteer Recruitment,Retention

& Training2

3

Logistics - Nuts and bolts

• Facilitator introductions• Thank you to LAFLA!• Restrooms• Water• Lunch

4

Mindfulness moment

5

Icebreaker: “Yes, and…”

• Theme: Dream Vacation• Start your sentence with “Yes, and…”

6

Pro bono accelerator learning objectives1. Shared pro bono language2. Inspiration from peers3. Role of pro bono in larger civil justice

movement4. Lens of equity & inclusion5. Support on concrete action steps towards

organizational change & pro bono design

7

Pro bono accelerator roadmap1. February 12: Volunteerism Overview2. March 11: Recruitment, Cultivation, & Training3. April 8: Placement, Supervision, & Technical Assistance4. May 13: Impact Evaluation & Data Tracking5. June 10: Capstone Project Presentations 6. July 8: Organizational Change Planning

8

Ground rules

• Beach ball conversations• One diva, one mic• Make space, take space• Be here now• Confidentiality

9

Today’s agenda ...

1. Recruitment & retention mechanisms2. Adult learning best practices for trainings3. Power, privilege & cultural humility4. Inspiring pro bono model case studies5. Tech tools & tricks6. Thought partner Capstone Activity7. Capstone Project next steps:

a. External Analysis

10

Pedagogical note:

• Three overarching themes: Recruitment, retention & training.

• At end of each theme, we’ll have individual time to reflect on key take-aways each of you want to consider applying to your own programs.

11

Feedback from session #1• Liked: Opportunity to learn from each other• Slow down with the jargon • Too much off-topic discussion • What about the amazing Anand Giridharadas article we

read?• Want more: tangible tech solutions, diversity & inclusion

discussion

12

Grounding pro bono programs in a larger civil justice movement

• Justice Gap & Civil Gideon• Anand Giridharadas - author of Winners Take All

• “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” ― Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Systemic change v. band-aids

13

Reflections on the savior complex 14

15

Reflecting on the savior complex

16

1. Pair Up2. Discuss reading prompts of your choice:

a. What are the implications of Anand Giridharadas’ core argument, if any, on pro bono programs?

b. If you feel Giridharadas’ core argument has implications on your pro bono model, what are creative solutions to grappling with those implications in how you design & execute your model?

c. What are the potential ramifications of a “savior complex” in the context of pro bono volunteer programs?

d. What is one existing or potential way your volunteer recruitment, retention and/or training model could revise or problematize this common narrative?

Volunteer Recruitment 17

Importance of volunteer recruitment• Scale your program• Serve more clients

18

PowToon: Where, how, and who to recruit

19

Volunteer Recruitment Key #1: Ground Your Ask

• Ground your ask in a short explanation of the client need & make it clear how the volunteer engagement will help meet that need

20

• Grounding in explicit recognition of power, privilege and cultural humility at work in pro bono models

Volunteer Recruitment Key #2: Grounding in Cultural Humility

21

• Set clear expectations re: time commitment & other key logistics -- e.g., how will you deal with attorneys’ fees, engagement agreement, costs such as photocopying, etc.

Volunteer Recruitment Key #3: Clear Expectations

22

• Make it clear who can volunteer (e.g., level of expertise needed)

Volunteer Recruitment Key #4: Clear Requirements

23

• Make it clear what support they’ll receive from you (e.g., training & supervision)

Volunteer Recruitment Key #5: Share Your Training & Supervision Model

24

Volunteer Recruitment Key #6: What’s in it for them?

• Share what lawyering skills they will develop to apply throughout their legal career

25

Sample volunteerrecruitment language

26

27

Help tackle legal issues tied to poverty in Marin by removing barriers to economic empowerment! Why do pro bono in Marin? Marin County is the 17th wealthiest county in the nation, with an average individual income of $90,500. This high concentration of wealth and the associated high cost of living makes Marin County an increasingly difficult place to reside for those who live near or below the poverty line. The Marin Pro Bono Network seeks to provide equal access to justice for those low-income residents in need of legal services.

Reduce barriers to employment and housing with the Marin Pro Bono Network at Community Court clinic

Date: October 10, 2017Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, including an introduction and refresher training,Location: St. Vincent de Paul dining hall in San Rafael

Training & Supervision: No advanced training is needed! The Community Court model trains pro bono attorneys on the ground. You will spend the first portion of the clinic shadowing other attorneys to prepare you to see clients. There will be an attorney from Legal Aid of Marin present to answer any and all questions that may arise.

What to expect: The hearings are held at St. Vincent de Paul of Marin County. The goal of the community court is to enable residents to resolve their current or outstanding minor infractions so that they may have a fresh start, and to increase accessibility to the legal system. Common infractions include jaywalking, sleeping in public parks, etc. Judge Beverly Wood volunteers her time to oversee the court and greatly appreciates the participation of volunteer attorneys. The court is collaborative in nature and all parties share the common goal of resolving the infractions.

On the day of the clinic, you will begin by shadowing repeat pro bono attorneys as they meet with clients an advocate on their behalf in the informal hearing process. You will then have the opportunity to meet with a client and represent him/her in the hearing. Representation is only for the hearing itself. You will not be asked to take on any longer-term representation.

Ready to help low-income clients in need? Reply to this email to confirm your availability for this volunteer opportunity, or to indicate if you would like to stop receiving emails from the Marin Pro Bono Network.

Tech tools & tricks!

28Canva, Wejoinin, & Signup

• Graphic design tool

Canva

29

30

31

• Simple signup sheets

Wejoinin

32

• More complex signup sheets

Signup

33

• Write down 2 take-aways from this section

Individual activity

34

Volunteer Retention 35

Importance of volunteer retention

• Efficiency: Scale your program• Quality: Better client services• Community-building: Volunteers, staff, clients

36

Volunteer Retention Key #1: Accountability

• Act like a paying client: Hold volunteers accountable

37

Volunteer Retention Key #2: Strong Communication

• Maintain regular contact: Communication is key

38

Volunteer Retention Key #3: Motivating Stimuli

• Competition & community-building: Motivating factors for the lawyer brain

39

Volunteer Retention Key #4: Volunteer Recognition

• Pro bono awards: Hold celebratory events to highlight pro bono volunteers of the year.

40

Volunteer Retention Key #5: Volunteer Spotlights

• Volunteer spotlight: Highlight stellar volunteers through your website, e-newsletters, social media posts, certificates of achievement, “gold stars” for their office name plate, and more

41

Volunteer Retention Key #6: Success Stories

• Success stories: Maintain communication with your volunteer pool about client success stories to remind them why they’re investing their time and energy

42

Volunteer Retention Key #7: Photos

• Photos: Take photos of the pro bono volunteers and share them with them

43

Volunteer Retention Key #8: Reflective Testimonies

• Share volunteer reflections: Highlight key moments from volunteer’s own reflections to amplify the positive impact pro bonos create.

44

Volunteer Retention Key #9: Celebrate!

• Celebrate the little victories: For long-term cases, make sure you celebrate during the case timeline, not just at the end of the case

45

Volunteer Retention Key #10: Feedback

• Solicit & give feedback: Incorporate evaluation forms with every new and existing partnership

46

Volunteer Retention Key #11: Gratitude

• Say thank you

47

Tech tools & tricks!

48Zapier, Integromat, & Video Conference

Automate tasks

• Automate your check-ins and reminders

49

Video conference

• Use video conference for a personal connection during check-ins

50

Finding pro bono inspiration from peersPro bono case studies

51

52

53

• Write down 2 take-aways from this section

Individual activity

54

55

56

57

1. Pair up2. Discuss reading prompts

a. Is your existing pro bono model user-centered as to the pro bono volunteers, the clients and your internal organizational team? What is one example of how it is NOT for one of these user groups?

b. What is one of the seven key areas for improvement in the courts and self-help centers that Hagan’s article raises which could be helpful in an analogous way in your own pro bono model as to recruitment, retention and/or training?

Human-Centered Design

Volunteer Training 58

Importance of volunteer training• More training = Fewer questions• Leverage existing resources• Use best practices in creating content

59

Key concepts

1. Cultural humility training 2. Create effective trainings for the adult brain3. Expand staff capacity to train4. Explore the landscape of pro bono training

60

Power, privilege,& cultural humility• Client-centered service• Emphasize cultural humility in all trainings• Frame these trainings as the beginning of a

lifelong conversation, not a checkbox to be marked

61

Adult learning best practices

• EQUIP• Establish learning objectives• Quit lecturing every 20 minutes• Use interactive methods• Include reference material besides slides• Prepare checklists

62

Establish learning objectives

• Tangible learning goals• ACE

• Action - What do you want the trainee to do?• “After the training, the trainee will be

able to…”• Context - When do you want the trainee to

do the action?• Evaluation - How will you measure the

Action? 63

Examples• Trainee will be able to identify the 3 steps in

determining if a worker is an independent contractor under the Dynamex test during a client appointment

• Trainee will be able to explain the 5 steps of the clinic process to a client during the initial intake

• Trainee will be able to locate the 8 resources available to volunteers when they have a question about the appeals process 64

Pause lecturing every 20 minutes• Adult attention span lasts about 20 minutes.• Goal isn’t to cover all the material, but to

empower the learner to act: No point in covering material if it isn’t learned.

65

Use interactive methods• TRAIN

• Try-it-out - Practice• Role-play - Helps with practice and

developing empathy• Active demo - Show what the process

looks like in real life• Impromptu symposium - Group

discussion to talk through ideas• Note-taking - Individual work to give

space for trainees to reflect 66

Include reference materials

• Slides - Quick visual cues during the training• Reference materials - Information for trainees

to use during or after the training• It’s more important that you teach them how

to find the information than try to give them all the information at once

67

Prepare checklists for the training• Have you planned for all logistical needs

covered?• Is your training content realistic, given the time

constraints?

68

Provide resources and materials

69

• Include case examples and provide written materials on the day of training as well as for full-scope cases

• Create an in-depth case guide/manual (or use an existing one instead of re-inventing the wheel)

Training delivery & format

70

• Trainings in many formats: In-person, online, webinar, etc.

• Should be no more than 90 minutes - 2 hours• Interactive components are key

Incentivizing training

• Offer MCLE credit (particularly specialty credit, e.g., legal ethics or elimination of bias)

• Provide “train the trainer” opportunities so experienced volunteers can help train newbies

71

Evaluating trainings

• Get volunteer feedback after each training for constant iteration

• Trainings and supplementary materials should also be audited and updated regularly to reflect substantive changes

72

Existing training providers

73

Existing training providers

• Support Centers:

74

Existing training providers

• Legal Aid Association of California• Online training archive

75

Helpful examples

• House all training in one website:

76

Helpful examples

• Online manuals:

77

Helpful examples

• Practising Law Institute• Pro Bono Training Institute (PBTI) training • Public Service Jobs Database (PSJD)• New York Times Implicit Bias Videos• Harvard Implicit Association Tests• Spent Interactive Experience

78

• Cultural humility trainings:

Short cultural humility conversation starters in training

• What is the first thing you will say to your client when you meet them?

• Can you give me an example of how you would use listening, and your body language, to demonstrate that you are coming from a place of empathy?

• What language will you use with your client to be empowering versus objectifying?

79

• Write down 2 take-aways from this section

Individual activity

80

Breaktime!

81

Capstone work with pro bono law firm thought partners 82

Welcome, law firm thought partners!

83

Icebreaker:Side B of your business card• Another title you go by or another thing you

do in the world.• The A side is the typical get-to-know-you: your

name, organization, title• Share your business card b side, another title

you go by or another thing you do in the world.

84

Personal design behaviors:

1. Keep humans @ center of progress2. Suspend judgment3. Sit comfortably with ambiguity4. Rapidly experiment (bias toward action, take

risks)5. Visualize complexity, then target your

intervention (mapping)6. Make ideas visible7. Have fun!

85

Capstone activity #1

• Pair up: LSO & thought partner matches. LSO shares Capstone Question with thought partner

• LSO shares context, aims, needs & other formative background to their Capstone Question

86

Systems thinking

• Systems thinking is a method to develop strategy when working in a complex system

87

Capstone activity #2• Based on the nature of your question, choose (1)

of the following systems to investigate enablers & inhibitors for:• Recruitment• Retention• Training• Supervision & mentorship• Impact evaluation

88

89

Recruitment Recruitment

1. Write idea on post-it

2. Read it aloud to partner

3. Stick it down

Enablers brainstorm• Come up with different enabling policies,

behaviors and beliefs• Example: If your system is “volunteer

recruitment” → • Policy: Law firm policy that pro bono hours

count as billable hours• Behavior: When associates have down time,

they often reach out to Pro Bono Director to get a pro bono case

• Belief: Law firm associates can hone their litigation skills by taking pro bono cases 90

Inhibitors brainstorm• Come up with different inhibiting policies,

behaviors and beliefs• Example: If your system is “volunteer

recruitment” → • Policy: Law firm policy caps the number of pro

bono hours that can be counted as billable hours• Behavior: Associates ask legal services staff lots of

questions that are in the training manual• Belief: Law firm associates think that pro bono

will take too much time away from billable work91

Converge on a topic!

• Pick 1 enabler or inhibitor to brainstorm solutions on

• “If we addressed this, we would get outsized impact for our efforts.”

• Then grab a new large white post-it page for the next step...

92

How might we...• If you selected an enabler: Strengthen this

enabler?• Example: How might we strengthen the

enabler (a behavior) that law firm associates reach out to their firm Pro Bono Director for pro bono cases when they have “down time” on their existing case load?

93

How might we...

• If you selected an inhibitor: Overcome (or weaken) this inhibitor?• Example: How might we overcome the

inhibitor (a policy) that some law firms cap the number of pro bono hours that can be counted as billable hours?

94

“How might we…” Brainstorm Guidelines• 1 idea per post-it• Get to many ideas (the more the better!)• Write it, speak it, post it. • Cluster post-its in common themes.• Don't worry about feasibility yet (suspend

judgment!)• Think outside the law: how do other sectors or

organizations address this issue?• Consider best practices

95

How, Now, Wow

96

I like, I wish, I wonder

97

...to our law firm thought partners!

98

• Write a 1-3 page description of the larger environmental (political, economic, social) context in which your pro bono program and the issue(s) you’re addressing in it occurs

• Include a brief overview of the legal need(s) your pro bono program addresses

Capstone next steps

99

• Include a brief overview of other pro bono programs in the region(s) your program serves that address the same or a similar legal need. Your aim is to understand if there are potential collaborators or thought partners external to your organization who might make valuable contributions to your design process

• In addition, to identify political or ethical considerations relevant to a client-centered design process

Capstone next steps

100

Individual capstone activity

• Outline the elements of external analysis pertinent to your capstone issue(s) that you plan to research.

• Deadline reminder: March 25: Submit one-page description of the big picture external analysis to Ariella via email

101

Today, we...1. Gained insights into pro bono volunteer

recruitment & retention mechanisms2. Learned about adult learning best practices for

training pro bono volunteers3. Discussed power, privilege & cultural humility

training for pro bono volunteers4. Discussed inspiring pro bono model case

studies5. Met & worked with your law firm thought

partner6. Continued working on your Capstone Project 102

One-word closeout

103

Thank you!

• Complete evaluation surveys• Complete MCLE documentation

104