There are millions of Americans who appear to under-utilize attorneys. The perceived cost of legal services is one inhibiting factor, but potential users are also often unaware that their difficulties are legal problems and that a lawyer should be employed to resolve their situation.

For most people, contact with lawyers occurs when a crisis situation demands it. The American Bar Association's Survey of Legal Needs show that 83% of those surveyed felt that people do not go to lawyers because they have no way of knowing which lawyer is competent to handle their particular problem.

Since July 2002, The Jacksonville Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service ("JBA LRS") has referred over 13,000 potential clients to Panel members. Participating attorney LRS panel members have collected over $4,000,000 in attorney fees resulting from these referrals.

Your application will be kept in a rotating file by practice area. When a call is received, a referral coordinator will determine the type of case involved. The referral will be made to the first attorney who is willing to accept cases in the indicated area of law. The referral coordinator will contact the attorney's office and schedule an appointment for the client. The referral attorney's name will then be placed at the bottom of the rotation list.

The initial consultation fee, if applicable, will be collected by The JBA LRS staff prior to making the appointment with the attorney's office. Following the referral, The JBA LRS will send a referral form to the participating JBA LRS attorney's office.

Immediately following the initial consultation, the attorney's office will return a copy of the LRS referral form indicating the status of the referral to The JBA LRS.

• Building or expanding your practice by accepting consultations with potential clients who have a legal need and should be expected to pay a reasonable fee for legal services;
• Helping the public recognize legal problems and the necessity for using a lawyer to solve these problems;
• Encouraging the practice of "preventive law" in solving many potential problems before they become more serious;
• Providing the public with an alternative to individual lawyer advertising;
• Providing an opportunity to educate the public that lawyers are willing to help them and not to be apprehensive about consulting a lawyer; and
• Helping the public develop a better understanding of the law, the profession and the attorney.

What next? Read the rules and regulations, complete the application form and mail it to The JBA LRS with the registration fee. Be sure to indicate the practice areas in which you will accept referrals, and a copy of your professional liability insurance certificate.

Your decision to join The JBA LRS will help meet the profession's responsibility to provide legal services to all members of the community.