ADULT EDUCATION IN PALM BEACH COUNTY
The Lawyers for Literacy Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar Association

Formed in 2001, the Palm Beach County Bar Association's Lawyers for Literacy Committee is an excellent example of how to engage professional organizations in the cause of literacy. The Coalition governing board recognized that lawyers often serve low-literacy and limited-English-proficient clients and sought to involve local attorneys in helping meet literacy needs in the county. The Coalition approached the bar association about creating a Lawyers for Literacy Committee as part of their volunteer committee structure. Each year, increasing numbers of attorneys help promote literacy in Palm Beach County.

The lawyers participate in many Coalition events throughout the year. On International Reading Day in 2002-2003, for example, 30 lawyers went to the adult education center and spoke with classes about their work and the students' learning. The Committee also sponsors a team of lawyers who participate in the Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee and individual lawyers participate in Read Across Palm Beach County Day.

Many of the lawyers say they enjoy being a part of this group because they are actually "doing something," as opposed to engaging in the traditional networking opportunities that abound in their profession. Other lawyers indicated that their firms support their work with the committee because it reflects well on the firm's commitment to and engagement with the community.

At the Region V Adult Literacy Center, the Coalition has developed an implementation guide (An Implementation Guide for Developing a Lawyers for Literacy Committee) to show other counties how to develop a Lawyers for Literacy program. This Implementation Guide is available by mail. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.pbcliteracy.org/region_v.htm.