It's an opportunity for citizens to get free legal advice. Pro-bono day is scheduled for Thursday, January 24th at the Legal Aid Bureau in Frederick from 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The bureau is located at 22 South Market Street, which is the Federated Charities building. "No fee. No registration. All you do is show up. The only thing we ask is that you bring any and all relevant documents to your legal matter with you," says Patricia Skipper, a para-legal with the Legal Aid Bureau.

She says about 15 to 20 attorneys will be on hand to give advice or answer questions on such issues as family law, landlord-tenant disputes, wills, estates, workers compensation, bankruptcy, foreclosures, real estate law, immigration and criminal law.

Pro bono day is funded by the local Bar Association under the "Justice For All" grant.

So why would an attorney give up billable hours and work for free, Skipper was asked. "It's all about access to legal services for the community," she says. "Not everyone can afford an attorney, unfortunately, and a lot of people don't know how to go about finding one today," despite all the advertisements on radio and television by attorneys.

Anyone who comes by the Legal Aid Bureau on Pro-bono Day will receive a 20-minute session with an attorney without charge. But additional assistance is available if a citizens' legal situation is more complex. "We will have a volunteer from the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, which will be accepting intakes for potential placement with a pro-bono attorney," says Skipper. "We also have a separate pro-bono placement program through the Bar Association's 'Justice for All' grant just for Frederick County residents. And that's administered here at Legal Aid," she says.

For more information, you can call the Legal Aid Bureau at 301-694-7414.