UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK CARLA R. MCBEATH, Plaintiff, Case No. 1:24-cv-03151 (JLR) -against- ORDER SPENCE-CHAPIN SERVICES TO FAMILIES AND CHILDREN et al., Defendants. JENNIFER L. ROCHON, United States District Judge: IT IS ORDERED that the Clerk of Court shall attempt to locate pro bono counsel for the limited purpose of representing Plaintiff at the mediation ordered by the Court at Dkt. 20. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that any objection to the request for pro bono counsel must be filed within 21 days of this order. Any objection will be considered waived if not filed within this time. Parties are advised that the search for pro bono counsel will not commence unless and until the time for parties to object to the request for counsel has passed without objection. Pro bono counsel will contact Plaintiff directly.1 Pro bono counsel will represent Plaintiff solely for purposes of the mediation; at the conclusion of the mediation process the pro bono counsel may file a Notice of Completion.

1 Because volunteer attorneys are a scarce resource, pro se litigants are not entitled to their choice of pro bono counsel. Cf. Cooper v. A. Sargenti Co.,

(2d Cir. 1989) (per curiam). Barring extraordinary circumstances, if Plaintiff chooses not to work with the volunteer attorney or law-school clinic that reaches out to Plaintiff, Plaintiff’s options are to obtain counsel without assistance from the court or proceed pro se in the mediation. The time to assign a mediator under Local Civil Rule 83.9 and the Court’s Mediation Program Procedures will be deferred until pro bono counsel has filed a Notice of Limited Appearance of Pro Bono Counsel. Dated: August 28, 2024 New York, New York SO ORDERED. secre L. ROCHON United States District Judge