Massachusetts Bar Association in Boston, MA | The Law and You

Massachusetts Bar Association

The MBA Lawyer Referral Service is one of the largest referral services of its kind in the nation. Since its inception in 1974, the LRS has helped more than 450,000 people find the right lawyer. Unlike for-profit referral agencies, the LRS is a public service program dedicated to directing callers to the most appropriate resources, whether that is one of our attorney panel members, the state attorney general's office, a legal service agency or the MBA's own Dial-A-Lawyer program.
Each day, the MBA's LRS representatives carefully screen almost 250 calls from the public. Regardless of the direction of the referral, LRS representatives treat all callers with dignity and respect.
Approximately 40 percent of LRS callers are referred to our member attorneys. Callers who we determine are not in need of lawyers' services are referred to one of the MBA public service programs or a state/local agency for information and possibly free representation. Referrals to our members are based on the legal need, geographic convenience and the caller's financial situation.
Committees & Task Forces
As a way to tackle important issues affecting a significant number of Massachusetts Bar Association members and those in the legal community as a whole, MBA designates committees, establishes task forces and joins forces with like-minded groups to create positive change for the legal profession. In addition to 16 sections, committees and task forces are appointed by the president to examine specific areas of importance to the association. Some of the committees are permanent standing committees, while others are set up for a defined time period to study a topic or issue of limited scope.
MBA Signature Initiatives
As a way to tackle important issues affecting a significant number of MBA members and those in the legal community as a whole, the MBA designates committees, establishes task forces and joins forces with like-minded groups to create positive change for the legal profession.
The key initiatives for the 2008-09 association year under the leadership of President Edward W. McIntyre are:
- Serving Our Veterans in the Law
The Massachusetts Bar Association with financial support from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation is offering a pro bono program for veterans struggling with state and federal benefit appeals.
- The MBA Lawyers Eco-Challenge
The MBA has teamed up with the Conservation Law Foundation, New England’s leading legal and environmental advocacy organization, to encourage lawyers to reduce energy and resource consumption. More than a dozen lawyers on the MBA’s newly formed Energy and Environmental Task Force created Green Guidelines for the office and a pledge to help attorneys make their practices more Earth-friendly. The Task Force is now working on Green Guidelines for the home.