Fillable Printable Sample Request for Proposal for Legal Services

Sample Request for Proposal for Legal Services



SampleRequestforProposalforLegalServices



September2012



ThisisaRequestforProposal(RFP)forLegalServicesthatCommunityActionAgencies(CAA)

mayuseasastartingplacetocreatetheirownRFP.ACAAshouldcarefullyreviewthisRFP

andedititasnecessarytoensurethatitmeetstheneedsofitsorganization.Itisimportant



tonotethat,assetforthintheWorkingwithAttorneyssectionoftheExemplaryLegal

PoliciesandPracticesGuidebook,aCAAmustcomplywiththeprocurementrequirementsset

forthinUniformAdministrationRequirementsforGrantssetforthin2C.F.R.Part215(OMB

CircularA‐110)whensearchingforanattorneytoretain.ThissampleRFPisnotintendedas

legaladvice.



REQUESTFORPROPOSALFORLEGALSERVICES

FORTHEPERIOD

[DATE]to[DATE]



INQUIRIESANDPROPOSALSSHOULDBEDIRECTEDTO:

[EXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERISDESIGNATEDTORECEIVEINQUIRIES]

[TITLE]



[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY]

[MAILINGADDRESS]

[PHONE]

[FAX]

[EMAIL]

2



I. GENERALINFORMATION. 

A. Purpose.Thisrequestforproposal(RFP)istocontractforlegalservicestobeprovided

[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCYNAME]forthe[SPECIFYTIMEPERIODSUCHASCALENDER

YEAR____ORDATERANGE].



B. WhoMayRespond.Onlyattorneyswhoarecurrentlylicensedto

practicelawin[STATE]and

maintainanofficein[CITY,STATE],orlawfirmsincludingsuchattorneys,mayrespondtothis

RFP.



C. InstructionsonProposalSubmission.



1. ClosingSubmissionDate.Proposalsmustbesubmittednolaterthan[TIME]on[DATE]



2. Inquiries.InquiriesconcerningthisRFP

shouldbemailedto:

[EXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERISDESIGNATEDTORECEIVEINQUIRIES]

[TITLE]

[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY]

[MAILINGADDRESS]



Ore‐mailedto:[EMAILADDRESSOFEXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERIS

DESIGNATEDTORECEIVEINQUIRIES]



3. ConditionsofProposal.Allcostsincurredinthepreparationofaproposalresponding

to

thisRFPwillbetheresponsibilityoftheOfferorandwillnotbereimbursedby

[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY],(hereinafterreferredtoas(CAA).



4. InstructionstoProspectiveContractors.Yourproposalshouldbeaddressedasfollows:

 [EXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERISDESIGNATEDTORECEIVEPROPOSALS]

[TITLE]

[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY]



[MAILINGADDRESS]



ItisimportantthattheOfferor'sproposalbesubmittedinasealedenvelopeclearlymarked

inthelowerleft‐handcornerwiththefollowinginformation:

RequestforProposal

[TIME][DATE]

SEALEDPROPOSALForLegalServi ces

3





Failuretodosomayresultinprematuredisclosureofyourproposal.Itistheresponsibility

oftheOfferortoinsurethattheproposalisreceivedbyCAA,bythedateandtimespecified

above.Lateproposalswillnotbeconsidered.

5. RighttoReject.CAAreserves

therighttorejectanyandallproposalsreceivedinresponse

tothisRFP.Acontractfortheacceptedproposalwillbedraftedbaseduponthefactors

describedinthisRFP.



6. Smalland/orMinority‐OwnedBusinesses.EffortswillbemadebyCAAtoutilizesmall

businesses,womenand/orminority

ownedbusinesses.Offerorqualifiesasasmall

businessfirmifitmeetsthedefinitionof"smallbusiness"asestablishedbytheSmall

BusinessAdministration(13C.F.R.§121.201

).



7. NotificationofAward.ItisexpectedthatadecisionselectingthesuccessfulFirmwillbe

madewithinfour(4)weeksoftheclosingdateforthereceiptofproposals.Upon

conclusionoffinalnegotiationswiththesuccessfulFirm,allOfferorssubmittingproposalsin

responsetothisRequestfor

Proposalwillbeinformed,inwriting,ofthenameofthe

successfulconsultant.Itisexpectedthatthecontractshall[DESCRIBETYPEOFCONTRACT,

FOREXAMPLEWILLITBEAONEYEARFIXEDPRICECONTRACTWITHOPTIONFOR

RENEWALORWILLITBEACONTRACTFORAWORKPERFORMEDWITHIN

ASPECIFICTIME

PERIODWITHARETAINERANDADDITIONALFEESCONSIDEREDONAMONTHLYBASES].



D. DescriptionofEntity.CAAisaCommunityActionAgencythatserves[COUNTIES]in[STATE].

CAAisa[NONPROFITCORPORATION/PUBLICENTITY]and[IFNONPROFIT,hasbeen

determinedtobeexemptfromFederalincometax

underSection501(c)(3)oftheInternal

RevenueCode].CAAhasanannualbudgetofapproximately[DOLLARS]andisgovernedbya

[NUMBEROFBOARDMEMBERS]membervolunteerBoardofDirectors,whichmeets

[NUMBER]timesperyear.CAAemploys[NUMBER]people.Administrativeofficesarelocated

at[ADDRESS].Otherofficesarelocated

throughout[COUNTIES].

CAA’smission[DESCRIPTIONOFMISSION,FOREXAMPLE,CAA’Smissionistoempower people

tomovefrompovertytoself‐sufficiency.Itaccomplishesthisgoalthroughavarietyof

programs,financedprimarilybyfederal,state,andlocalgrants,includingthefollowing:Head

Startandotherchildandfamilydevelopment

programs;HomeEnergyAssistance;Rental

Assistance;TransitionalLivingandHomelessnessIntervention;RunawayandHomelessYouth;

Child/FamilyHealthPlus;andEmergencyFoodandShelter]. 

II. SCOPEOFSERVICES.TheOfferorshallbereadilyavailabletoperformthefollowinglegalservices,as

requestedbytheExecutiveDirectorand/orBoardofDirectors:

4



[LISTLEGALSERVICESDESIRED,FOREXAMPLE:

1. Review,draft,andnegotiatecontractsandleases

2. Adviseoncorporateandtax‐exemptor ganizationlegalissues

3. Adviseonindividuallaborandemploymentmatters

4. Reviewpersonnel,fiscalandotherpolicies,aswellascorporateby‐laws

5. AttendBoardof

DirectorsandCommitteemeetingsasnecessary

6. Adviseongovernmentgrantandcontractissues

7. Adviseonresponsestosubpoenas,courtorders,andrequestsforinformationfromthird

parties

8. Defendlawsuits,administrativeclaims,orotherlegalclaims

9. Conductlitigationasnecessary

10. Otherlegalservicesasneeded]



Although

itispreferableforanattorneyorfirmtosubmitaproposalcoveringalloftheaboveareas,

CAAwillconsiderproposalsforsubsetsoftheseareas.

Offerorshallbepreparedtosubmitdetailedbillingstatementsforallservicesbilledatanhourly

rate,ifany,brokendownintotimeincrements

ofnomorethanaquarterhour.Offerorshall also

includesummariesofworkperformedandtimespentonservicesperformedundertheflatmonthly

fee,asdiscussedbelow.

III. PROPOSALCONTENTS.TheOfferor,initsproposal,shall,asaminimum,includethefollowing;

A. LegalExperience.TheOff eror

shoulddescribeitslegalexperience,includingthenames,

addresses,contactpersons,andtelephonenumbersofatleastthreeclients,preferably

includingclientssimilartoCAA.Experienceshouldincludethefollowingcategories: 

[LISTEXPERIENCEDESIRED,FOREXAMPLE:

1. Experienceadvisingnonprofitorganizations.

2. Experienceadvisingclientsconductingsimilarprogramsandgovernment‐funded

services.]

B. Organization,Size,Structure,andAreasofPractice.IftheOfferorisafirm,itshoulddescribe

itsorganization,size,structure,areasofpractice,andofficelocation(s).Indicate,ifappropriate,

ifthefirmisasmallorminority/ownedbusiness.AlsoincludecopyofEqual

Opportunity/AffirmativeActionPolicy,ifthe

firmhasone.

C. AttorneyQualifications.TheOfferorshouldhaveexperienceinthefollowingareas:[LIST

EXPERIENCEDESIRED,FOREXAMPLE:non‐profitandtax‐exemptorganizations;realestate,

includingbondfinancing;governmentgrantsandcontracts;laborandemployment;and

generalbusinessoperations.]TheOfferorshoulddescribethequalificationsofattorneys

tobe

assignedtotherepresentation.Descriptionsshouldinclude:

5



1. Professionalandeducationbackgroundofeachattorney.

2. Overallsupervisiontobeexercised.

3. Priorexperienceoftheindividualattorneyswithrespecttotherequiredexperiencelisted

above.Onlyincluderesumesofattorneyslikelytobeassignedtotherepresentation.

Education,positioninfirm,yearsandtypesof

experience,andcontinuingprofessional

educationwillbeconsidered.

D. Price.TheOfferor'sproposedpriceshouldincludeinformationonthehourlybillingratesof

eachattorneyorotherlegalstaffwhoisexpectedtoworkonthisrepresentationandcharges

forexpenses,ifany,suchaslegalresearch,copies,andfaxes.

Alsoincludeamonthlyflatfee

thatwouldbechargedtoadviseonroutinemattersthatcouldbehandledoverthetelephon eor

otherwisewithoutextensiveresearchorotherlegalwork.CAAreservestherighttonegotiate

withtheOfferoronthestructureofthebillingand/or retainerfee. 

IV.

PROPOSALEVALUATION

A. SubmissionofProposals.Allproposalsshallincludeanoriginaland[NUMBER]copies.

B. EvaluationProcedureandCriteria.CAA’sExecutiveDirectorandappropriatestaffwillreview

proposalsandmakerecommendationstotheBoardofDirectorsforfinalapproval.The

ExecutiveDirectorand/orBoardofDirectorsmayrequesta

meetingwithsomequalified

Offerorspriortofinalselection.Proposals willber eviewedinaccordancewiththefollowing

criteria:

[LISTCRITERIABYWHICHYOUWILLBEREVIEWINGTHEPROPOSALS,FOREXAMPLE:

1. Proposedapproachtoscopeofwork.

2. Levelofexperienceoftheindividual(s)identifiedtoworkonthis

matter.

3. TheOfferor’sexperiencewithsimilarclientsandlegalmatters.

4. Responsefromreferences.

5. Cost.

6. Interviews,ifconducted.]