“While Island County Superior Court officials recently began a program to help people without lawyers understand the law, some Whidbey attorneys are trying to start a private company that will offer free legal help to the poor.MIsland County Bar Association committee members recently put together a business plan for a proposed pro bono attorney service. The so-called Volunteer Lawyer Program Committee, which includes both Superior Court judges, is headed by Oak Harbor attorney Mark Hansen. The committee recently approved the business plan and nine lawyers have already agreed to volunteer. The bar association members will consider adopting the plan at the Sept. 26 meeting.Under the business plan, the bar association would create a nonprofit corporation governed by a board of directors to run the program. The free legal help would be targeted to the areas of greatest demand. The business plan states that 80 percent of historic pro bono cases for low-income people have been in family law, while landlord-tenant, consumer and debtor matters make up most of the remaining 20 percent.The proposed Volunteer Lawyer Program would offer advise and counsel, referral information, limited representation and even full-on legal representation by volunteer attorneys.The committee’s financial plan calls for grant applications and fund-raising campaigns. The members have already applied for a grant from the Legal Foundation of Washington to fund the initial start-up costs of the program. The need is pretty dramatic. According to the committee’s business plan, 6.6 percent of the population of Island County live below the poverty level. Between 61 and 75 percent of low-income people’s legal needs go unmet. And 47 percent of low-income households experience at least one civil legal problem a year.That translates to 2,219 legal problems a year for low-income families in the county.You can reach features editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611. “