WASHINGTON - For several months last year Robin Maher, director of the American Bar Association Death Penalty Representation Project was feeling like the proverbial Maytag repairman. "I could not even get a return phone call," she said, from law firms she had called in search of volunteers to help the hundreds of death row inmates nationwide who are without counsel. "I think there was a lot of uncertainty about layoffs and other changes that made law firms reluctant to commit to new pro bono projects," Maher said in an interview.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the economic downturn has also made the need for pro bono lawyers greater than ever, she said. "Reductions in state and county budgets mean that defender offices with crushing workloads and inadequate funding are struggling more than ever to represent poor people facing death sentences." The project receives numerous letters from prisoners and public defenders every week, she said. Despite having recruited hundreds of private firm lawyers over the years, she added, "We do not have nearly enough to meet the tremendous need."

To recruit new volunteer lawyers and give them some nuts-and-bolts training, the ABA project is holding a two-hour event on the afternoon of March 25 at Sidley Austin's D.C. office at 1501 K St. N.W. For the first hour Robert Dunham, federal public defender for the Middle District of Pennsylvania's Capital Habeas Corpus Unit, will offer some basic information about training, investigtions, ethical issues and relating to death row clients. Then, D.C. area lawyers who have volunteered to represent death row inmates will talk about their experiences and the urgent need for volunteers.

Scheduled to speak are: Sidley partner Ronald Flagg, host of the event and president-elect of the D.C. bar; Jane Luxton, partner at Pepper Hamilton; David Kendall of Williams & Connolly; Steven Schneebaum of Greenberg Traurig; and Amanda Raines, a Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom associate. A reception will follow. Check here for more information.

"No previous death penalty or criminal law experience are required," said Maher. "What we need are the skills and energy of lawyers who are offended by the notion that someone in or country could be sentenced to death and not have the assistance of a good lawyer before being executed."