Erik Zimmerman Discusses Experience with NC Appellate Pro Bono Program

Robinson Bradshaw attorney Erik Zimmerman shared his experience with the North Carolina Appellate Pro Bono Program in a recent North Carolina Lawyers Weekly article. The program seeks to connect pro bono attorneys to pro se litigants for cases before the state’s Court of Appeals or Supreme Court.

Zimmerman participates as a volunteer attorney. He expressed that appellate pro bono work can be “especially impactful,” and that the program bridges the gap between the cases where court-appointed counsel is provided and cases where it is not.

“You can have a civil case where you have a really strong claim, but you can’t afford to get a lawyer to make it,” Zimmerman said, noting that appellate decisions in pro bono matters can benefit not only the plaintiff, but help shape the broader law for future cases.

Founded in 2018, the program is a collaboration among the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Bar Association Appellate Practice Section and the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center.

The article is available here.