Pro Bono
Law Firms Switch Idle Lawyers to Pro Bono Work
Posted Dec 16, 2008 9:25 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
There is at least one benefit to the economic downturn: More lawyers are volunteering for pro bono work.
Several law firms have switched lawyers experiencing idle time to pro bono work, the American Lawyer reports. The magazine says these law firms are among those making a change:
• Dechert, which has moved seven associates to full-time pro bono work because of a slowdown in structured finance.
• Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft, which has increased pro bono hours.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where pro bono hours have risen to 85 hours per lawyer through September, compared to 69 hours per lawyer last year.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where new associates have more free time than usual to devote to pro bono.
ABA President-elect Carolyn Lamm has endorsed the idea of creating more pro bono work for lawyers who would otherwise be laid off. Speaking in December at an Access to Civil Justice Symposium sponsored by the association, she said law firms could assign lawyers targeted for layoffs to handle civil cases for low-income clients.
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Comments
B. McLeod
Dec 16, 2008 7:26 PM CST
How admirable. They are basically “volunteering” for work that is “pro bono” (at least to the firm) so that they won’t just have to sit there, idly twiddling their thumbs until a partner hands them a get-the-Hell-out notice.
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Bill Dugan
Dec 16, 2008 8:04 PM CST
If I am permitted to do pro bono, it’s only on my own time. My firm won’t allow me to be paid for this work. But as long as I do pro bono on weekends, the firm doesn’t care.
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Jeremy
Dec 19, 2008 8:35 AM CST
Bill—
If you’re at Biglaw, weekends are for work. Pro bono must be done between 11:00pm and 4:00am saturday night-sunday morning. All other time is firm time.
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Mark
Dec 19, 2008 9:44 AM CST
Some comments posted so far suggest that the commenters work for BigLaw firms that do not encourage pro bono work or perhaps, at least implicitly, discourage it, even if the firm has a public statement otherwise. Sad - for these lawyers and for the firm, not to mention the underserved people and organizations that could benefit from their skills.
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