How do pro bono lawyers make money9/27/2023 Of course, no firm wants to let a pro bono client down, both for reputation reasons and, on the more extreme end, for the possibility of a professional negligence claim. Moreover, just as pro bono is used as a narrative device in the aforementioned suits to introduce new situations, pro bono in reality can be an excellent tool for individual lawyers and larger legal teams to gain exposure to new, esoteric or previously untouched areas of the law, without the pressure of letting a paying client down. However, when those are not necessary or desirable, pro bono can act as a stop gap to keep lawyers sharp and occupied. Of course, this time could be used to take holidays or do housekeeping, both domestic and at the firm. If a firm restricts itself only to paying cases, then there may be periods of time, of varying lengths, where legal staff sit idle. Just as practice makes perfect, new situations improve overall professional development. Skill sharpening – lawyers are human, and, like any human, they respond well to repetitive exposure. However, there are a myriad of positive reasons Why then, divert precious time and expertise, that could be focused on financially rewarding cases, to cases that carry no monetary compensation? Business-minded lawyers could be forgiven for assuming this is the preserve and objective of charities, such as the aforementioned Citizens Advice Bureau, not a job for business-oriented firms, with employees to pay and bills to settle. Most legal firms are, after all, businesses, with an aim to turn a profit for their paralegals, associates and partners. To some, the concept of pro bono is an enigma. In the context of law, pro bono is either given in the form of one of advice or signposting further help on a particular issue, in a manner reminiscent of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, or the free and voluntary provision of legal service throughout the lifetime of a case – the style most often adopted by law firms. While pro bono is not restricted solely to the legal world, showing up also in medicine and academics – among other fields, it is most commonly associated with the practice of the law. Therefore, pro bono is a method for helping those in need and aiding charities to help those in order to do individual good and help society as a whole. This effectively free service is often done for individuals or organisations that either cannot afford the service they are receiving outside of a charitable context, or would better serve society if their money was redirected to other outlets. Pro bono, at its core, is the provision of professional services for no fee or a minimal representative fee, such as travel expenses. Indeed, the popular legal drama Suits (which Robert Hanna’s legally speaking podcast makes a point of regularly riffing on as an icebreaker) frequently uses pro bono as an excuse for up-and-coming lawyer Mike and his mentor & boss Harvey to step out of their striped suit corporate world into more exciting and nuanced cases, where they represent the proverbial ‘little guy’ against faceless corporations and amoral tycoons.īut what exactly is ‘pro bono’? Like many terms in law, pro bono’s legal etymology has its roots in Latin, specifically the longer term ‘pro bono publico’, roughly translating to ‘for the public good’. One of the most common terms bandied about in standard mainstream media depicting lawyers is that of ‘ pro bono ’.
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