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Public Service

Why New Attorneys Should Work Pro Bono and Where to Find Opportunities

Daniel Bowman

Summary

  • Attorneys have a professional responsibility to work in the public’s interest.
  • The commitment to equal treatment under the law requires our commitment to equal access to counsel.
  • Pro bono work can provide in-court experience, face time with clients, and experience in new areas of law, and it may expand your network as you volunteer alongside other attorneys and professionals.
Why New Attorneys Should Work Pro Bono and Where to Find Opportunities
iStock.com/Bevan Goldswain

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Law is a demanding profession. Amidst trying to juggle our professional responsibilities with life’s other obligations, the thought of adding pro bono into the mix can seem exhausting. But pro bono work is foundational to an ethical legal career. New attorneys should take their ethical responsibility to work pro bono seriously. If you aren’t sure where to start, review the extensive list of pro bono and volunteer opportunities at the end of this article.

Why Work Pro Bono?

Attorneys have a professional responsibility to work in the public’s interest. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg described, “Lawyers have a license to practice law, a monopoly on certain services. But for that privilege and status, lawyers have an obligation to provide legal services to those without the wherewithal to pay, to respond to needs outside themselves, to help repair tears in their communities.” This exhortation is not new; over a hundred years ago, Justice Louis Brandeis similarly modeled the private lawyer’s ability to promote the public good by working pro bono. In fact, he spent so much time working without fee in the public’s interest that he would personally compensate his law partners for the time he expended on pro bono work. By volunteering your time to work pro bono, you become part of a longstanding legal tradition of responding to societal needs, both great and small.

Of course, you may have good reasons to forgo pro bono work. But do not neglect this responsibility without good cause—as an attorney, you are uniquely privileged to help solve problems that non-attorneys cannot help with.

The status quo in the United States is that those who cannot afford counsel will not receive civil counsel; in 2021, for example, legal aid organizations rejected one of every two requests for legal aid due to limited resources. Consequently, the commitment to equal treatment under the law requires our commitment to equal access to counsel—this principle, above all else, should compel us to help address the legal needs of those around us.

And as a bonus, pro bono work can help you grow as a lawyer. It can provide in-court experience, face time with clients, and experience in new areas of law, and it may expand your network as you volunteer alongside other attorneys and professionals.

Where to Serve Pro Bono

There is no shortage of places where attorneys can have an impact. Below are some well-known organizations and search tools that will help you identify specific pro bono opportunities or particular organizations to work with.

  • We the Action posts numerous pro bono opportunities, which you can filter based on your state of licensure and interests. Many of these projects require only a few hours of work, making this an apt resource for busy lawyers who can’t commit to a larger project.
  • The ABA’s Volunteer Opportunities page lists various national organizations and projects needing pro bono assistance, including many international service opportunities.
  • Probono.net has a state-specific search tool to identify and obtain contact information for various justice-focused nongovernmental organizations if you are interested in a specific area of pro bono work.
  • The Legal Services Corporation provides contact information for local legal aid organizations, which typically rely on networks of pro bono attorneys.
  • Your state bar association likely has a webpage listing a variety of pro bono opportunities. This is a good way to locate opportunities closer to home.
  • Courts often maintain lists of attorneys who are willing to handle cases pro bono. For example, the Ninth Circuit has a Pro Bono Program that attorneys admitted to the Ninth Circuit can volunteer for. Reach out to your local courts and let them know you are willing to provide pro bono assistance when needed.
  • Attorneys who lack sufficient time to take on pro bono cases can volunteer smaller chunks of time through the ABA’s Free Legal Answers program. This virtual legal clinic allows pro bono attorneys to give limited advice to qualifying persons within their state of licensure.
  • The Disaster Relief Pro Bono Portal lists several specific pro bono opportunities (not all of which are disaster-related) for which you can volunteer. The portal allows you to narrow the available opportunities based on your interests and state of licensure.
  • The Immigrant Child Advocacy Network provides opportunities to help unrepresented children with their asylum cases, often under the direction of a mentor attorney.
  • The Military Pro Bono Project will connect you with veterans who need pro-bono assistance with a wide swathe of civil matters.
  • The Immigration Justice Campaign will connect you with an unrepresented person in removal proceedings, who you can represent under the guidance of a mentor attorney. This organization also offers limited representation opportunities.
  • The Animal Legal Defense Fund maintains a network of pro bono attorneys it relies on for litigation, research, and criminal justice assistance.
  • Finally, consider your local community’s needs—it is possible that you already know people or organizations in your immediate circles who are unable to afford or obtain legal representation.

Even If Pro Bono Is a No-Go, Consider Nonlegal Volunteering

Not every attorney has the mental space for pro bono—you spend many of your waking hours lawyering, and taking on additional legal work might not be healthy. Even so, you can still volunteer in a nonlegal capacity. Volunteering allows you to respond directly to needs in your community, improves your mental health, and prevents burnout as you give back to your community.

Here are some organizations and search tools with which you can locate nonlegal volunteer opportunities:

  • Idealist allows organizations and local citizen groups to post volunteer needs. You can search for local or national volunteer opportunities.
  • VolunteerMatch is a platform where local organizations often post volunteer opportunities.
  • International Volunteer HQ provides international short- and long-term volunteer opportunities that will allow you to travel for a wide variety of service projects.
  • Catchafire connects professionals with organizations that need specific types of help. You can volunteer either short-term or long-term or as a consultant. 
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities helps families whose children are dealing with medical issues and need healthcare. It provides many avenues for you to support such families.
  • RAINN relies on volunteers to maintain its National Sexual Assault Hotline. It provides training and on-the-call assistance for all volunteers.
  • To find shelters, food banks, health clinics, and clothing centers that may need volunteers in your local community, the US Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Find Shelter search option is an excellent tool.

The Importance of Pro Bono and Volunteer Work

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” While certain pro bono or volunteer opportunities may not be the best fit for each of us, there are such a variety of ways to become more involved that there truly is something for everyone. I hope the resources listed above make it easier for you to take that next step in pursuit of justice.

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