In 1999, the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and its project, the Center for Pro Bono, concluded that the current pro bono support community, rural clients, and lawyers in solo or small law firm practice settings would all benefit from a project designed to increase volunteer participation and build connections between rural and urban lawyers. With financial support from the Open Society Institute, the Center for Pro Bono launched the Rural Pro Bono Delivery Initiative in 2000. The major goals of the Rural Pro Bono Delivery Initiative were t

• build urban-to-rural connections through new relationships and technology;
• encourage urban lawyer participation in rural pro bono delivery, including law firms, corporate counsel, and government lawyers;
• identify and develop more effective models for rural pro bono delivery;
• institutionalize within the Center and state and local legal services providers a focus on the legal needs of clients living in rural areas; and
• analyze and report to the pro bono/legal services community about the state of pro bono delivery in rural areas.

The Rural Pro Bono Delivery Initiative generated new resources, ideas, and volunteers by awarding mini-grants to help rural programs develop new strategies for delivering rural pro bono legal services, building a support system for rural advocates, capitalizing on innovative technology, and improving collaboration with urban pro bono programs.