In light of the increased demand for legal services for the poor, bar associations and private law firms across the country increasingly encourage private attorneys to fulfill their professional obligations by providing the legal representation needed to address the unmet needs of the poor.
In 2006, the ABA House of Delegates adopted Report No. 121A urging all law firms to participate in pro bono and public service activities. It also recommends effective strategies to provide lawyers with opportunities to do pro bono work and urges firms to adopt specific internal policies and procedures to support such work.
The ABA Center for Pro Bono provides technical assistance and planning advice to encourage law firms to develop pro bono policies and projects. The Center also produces a number of publications, maintains a national Knowledge Center of materials on a wide range of pro bono topics and operates the Peer Consulting Project. This web page is intended to support current and prospective lawyers seeking information about law firm pro bono.
Sample Law Firm Pro Bono Policies
- Seyfarth Shaw LLP
- Holland + Knight - Policy on Pro Bono Legal Services
- Law Firm Pro Bono Policy from the State Bar of Michigan
- Model Pro Bono Policy for Law Firms from the Tennessee Bar Association
- Oregon State Bar Pro Bono Model Policy Handbook
- ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law Model Law Firm Pro Bono Policy
- Montana Pro Bono Policy Toolkit
Resources to Create a Law Firm Pro Bono Program
- BLUEPRINT for Constructing a Pro Bono Project in a Mid-Size Law Firm
- How to Create an Effective Law Firm Pro Bono Program (NALP Bulletin, February 2007)
- Project Tool Kit Model Law Firm and Corporate Pro Bono Documents
- Law Firm/Corporate Law Department Guide to ABA Free Legal Answers
- Pro Bono Reference Guide (Public Interest Law Initiative)
- The ABCs of Creating a Pro Bono Policy for Your Law Firm (The Canadian Bar Association)
- Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCO)
- PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge
Resources for Evaluating Law Firm Pro Bono Programs
- Path to Pro Bono: An Interviewing Tool for Law Students
- NALP Directory of Legal Employers
- Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono
- American Lawyer Pro Bono Rankings
- BC Law Firm Pro Bono Guide for Students
- Pro Bono Practices Guide: A National Guide to the Pro Bono Practices of 30 Australian Law Firms
- Guide to Split Summers (Yale Law School)
- PostGraduate Fellowship Primer, PSJD
- Private Public Interest and Plaintiff's Firm Guide (Columbia Law School and Harvard Law School)
For more information on pro bono opportunities for law firms, please email the Center for Pro Bono at [email protected]