Building for Good to provide a national platform for pro bono construction law services – starting in four pilot states including Florida.
LAUDERDALE, FL, October 15, 2019 — As charitable organizations work to improve inadequate facilities or build new ones, legal bills may hold them back from their mission. Building for Good, Inc. (B4G), a national, web-based platform linking nonprofits and charities with skilled, volunteer construction lawyers, launched this month in Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, and Minnesota. B4G will help organizations in need of construction law assistance find qualified, local attorneys to provide pro bono construction law services.
A group of attorneys from the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law saw an untapped potential of expertise among the Forum attorneys wanting to give back to their communities. There was no channel linking lawyers to those organizations.
“Building for Good will assist in bringing Florida nonprofits’ construction projects to fruition by connecting deserving organizations to pro bono construction law attorneys throughout the state,” said Chair of Becker’s national Construction Practice and B4G Founding Board Member Steven Lesser . “Many times these projects are long overdue and without proper guidance and funding, they simply won’t get done. B4G will help change that outcome.”
Charitable organizations in Florida with construction-related legal issues and a financial need can contact B4G for more information and eligibility requirements. Examples of eligible organizations include foodbanks; domestic violence and homeless shelters; organizations helping citizens with physical, emotional, or mental disabilities; schools serving underserved populations; conservation and art organizations promoting access to the arts and outdoors by people of all backgrounds; and animal protection organizations. Volunteer construction attorneys, who are members of the 6,000 member American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, may provide legal services ranging from transactional work such as drafting and negotiating construction and design agreements or assisting clients in construction litigation, mediation, or arbitration relating to design or construction defects.
Mr. Lesser explained, “B4G removes some of the burden on charities and nonprofits with construction-law needs while also providing an avenue for skilled construction attorneys to impact real change in their communities. It’s a win-win arrangement.”
Other Florida organizations also participating in B4G include:
- Carlton Fields
- Clark Partington
- Foley & Lardner
- GrayRobinson
- Hill Ward Henderson
- Holland & Knight
- Siegfried Rivera
- Tampa Airport Authority
- Peckar & Abramson
- Trenam Law
Building for Good is actively looking for projects in Florida. To submit a project for consideration, volunteer, or donate, visit http://www.building4good.org.
About Building for Good, Inc.
B4G is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Massachusetts, with a mission to further local philanthropic efforts by utilizing skills-based volunteering from within the construction law industry. B4G is launching pilot services in Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey but plans to expand to additional states in 2020.