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January 20, 2025 Pro Bono and Public Service

New ABA report examines pro bono service by U.S. lawyers

CHICAGO, Jan. 20, 2025 — American attorneys continue to demonstrate a robust and enduring dedi­cation to pro bono work, with more than 75% providing pro bono service at some point in their careers, but there still is room for improvement, according to findings from “Supporting Justice V: A Report on the Pro Bono Work of America’s Lawyers”, released today by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service

An ABA survey polled attorneys in 24 states on their interest, time spent and key influencing factors related to pro bono work.

An ABA survey polled attorneys in 24 states on their interest, time spent and key influencing factors related to pro bono work.

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The report, the fifth in a series of studies on lawyer volunteerism that began in 2004 and the first since 2018, found that just over half of the attorneys surveyed had provided some pro bono legal services in 2022, with a lack of time cited most often as the single most important challenge to volunteerism. Slightly more than half of the attorneys providing pro bono services did so on a limited-scope basis, meaning their efforts were directed at specific tasks or services. Approximately 1 in 5 attorneys has never undertaken pro bono service of any kind.

“Providing pro bono legal services is at the core of the profession’s ethos,” said ABA President Bill Bay.  “This report highlights the good work of lawyers across the U.S., while also underscoring the need for more lawyers to volunteer to address the justice gap.”

The survey polled attorneys in 24 states, seeking data in such areas as their interest, time spent and key influencing factors related to pro bono work to determine the culture of volunteerism in the legal profession. The Baylor University College of Law analyzed the data for the survey.

The survey asked lawyers about their pro bono activity during 2022 as well as their most recent pro bono experience, using a definition that tracked pro bono in Rule 6.1 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The survey then asked about motivations and attitudes as well as public service activity. Rule 6.1 defines pro bono as free legal service to the poor and organizations serving the poor and substantially reduced-fee work for such groups, as well as civil rights, civil liberties, public rights, charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations.

The study, the standing committee’s first post-COVID-19 survey, showed a slight increase in lawyers’ use of technology to serve pro bono clients.  Attorneys indicated that virtual plat­forms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype, as well as court video appearances, are useful in providing pro bono service.

Also, for the first time, the survey asked respondents about their pro bono participation in law school. Nearly 59% indicated that they engaged in some form of volunteer activities during their time at law school; 8.8% attended a law school with a mandatory pro bono component as part of their degree requirements. Most had positive experiences regarding pro bono work during their time in law school.

The full report can be read here.

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