Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman appointed an advisory council to promote a sea change in the pro bono culture of New York's legal profession.

After amending court rules effective this past January to create an Attorney Emeritus status, Lippman took this next step to leverage the demographic shift that is bringing unprecedented numbers of experienced lawyers to the verge of retirement, and to channel those resources to assist the growing number of vulnerable New Yorkers unable to find legal assistance.

The council will be co-chaired by John Feerick, former dean and now professor of law at Fordham Law School, and Fern Schair, immediate past-chair of legal services for New York City, the largest civil legal services organization in the country. The council eill consist of statewide representatives of the private bar, the legal services and pro bono communities, the court system, law schools and the nonprofit sector. It will monitor the Attorney Emeritus Program's progress and advise Lippman and court leaders in the following areas:

• Ensuring that Attorney Emeritus volunteers provide high-quality legal services to clients;

• Making the pro bono experience as satisfying and desirable as possible for volunteers;

• Developing outreach and recruitment strategies to maximize pro bono representation by experienced lawyers;

• Collecting essential data about the program; and

• Serving as a bridge to important constituencies, including the legal services community, the bar and the nonprofit sector.

The Attorney Emeritus Program took effect Jan. 25. To date, 126 retired lawyers have volunteered their services and are being connected to 53 participating legal services and pro bono programs around the state.

To be eligible for Attorney Emeritus status, applicants must be retired lawyers in good standing who are at least 55 years old and have practiced law for a minimum of 10 years. Attorneys Emeritus pledge to provide at least 30 hours annually of unpaid legal assistance to low- and moderate-income clients in various civil and family matters under the auspices of qualified programs.

The Attorney Emeritus Program was designed to make senior lawyer pro bono as convenient and comprehensible as possible. Attorneys Emeritus are not subject to the $350 attorney registration fee or mandatory CLE requirements, and training is provided free of charge by sponsoring organizations. Volunteers are afforded malpractice coverage by sponsoring organizations or covered by the defense and indemnification provisions of Public Officers Law. They also receive special recognition from the Chief Judge and the New York State Bar Association.

"The Attorney Emeritus Program is the most ambitious effort of its kind in the country, with the court system and the entire legal community working together to inspire experienced lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to low-income clients who cannot afford counsel," Lippman said. "At a time when more New Yorkers than ever cannot afford lawyers, it is critical that we take full advantage of a great untapped resource: the many baby boomer lawyers who want to use their retirement years to serve the less fortunate in our society."

Eligible attorneys may enroll in the Attorney Emeritus Program by visiting www.nycourts.gov and filling out a short online form, calling 877-800-0396 or completing the appropriate section on their next attorney registration form.