Skip to main content
Home

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Northern District of Texas

David C. Godbey, Chief Judge
Karen Mitchell, Clerk of Court

Pro Bono Civil Panel Information

You are here

Every year, pro se litigants in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas are involved in a variety of civil lawsuits.  A judge may grant an indigent pro se civil litigant’s motion for the appointment of counsel in an appropriate case and request an attorney to represent that litigant.  See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). 

In 1997, the Dallas Division of the Northern District of Texas established a small panel of attorneys willing to accept pro bono appointments in civil rights cases. In 2011, an ad hoc court committee revamped the panel, renaming it the Pro Bono Civil Panel (“PBCP”) and extending its applicability to other types of civil cases.  The committee also made it easier for attorneys to sign up for appointments and to seek reimbursement of allowable expenses.

The PBCP is currently comprised of more than 20 local law firms of all sizes and numerous individual attorneys.  Since its inception, it has provided quality pro bono legal representation for indigent, pro se civil litigants with potentially meritorious cases while expanding opportunities for young lawyers to gain valuable litigation experience.

To find out if your firm is already on the PBCP, click on the email link below to send an inquiry to the court committee. If your firm is on the PBCP and you would like to add your name to the firm’s list of volunteers, click here to complete the application online. If your firm is not on the PBCP and  you would like to sign up to be on the list of individual volunteers, click here to complete the application online.  If you would rather mail or email your application, click here for a pdf version and send it to:

Pro Bono Civil Panel
United States District Court
1100 Commerce, Room 1452
Dallas, TX 75242-1003
txndml_probono@txnd.uscourts.gov