How were the minimum thresholds for core law firm financial support determined?
There are a number of standards that have been adopted for support of legal aid organizations in other cities. The minimum firm support amount ($300 per attorney) was chosen based on the Philadelphia Bar Association’s successful “Raising the Bar” Campaign. Other cities have adopted higher standards. For example, in San Francisco, a percentage of firm revenues is being used as the target for giving, while in New York a special campaign through the Legal Aid Society sets the minimum standard for law firms at $600 per attorney. Rather than adopt these higher amounts as a minimum threshold for the Leadership Circle, the Statement of Principles have adopted the Gold ($600 per attorney) and Platinum ($1,000 per attorney) standards as aspirational targets for law firms in the Leadership Circle.
