ASSOCIATION FOCUS CONTINUED
0 1 2 3 4 5
YEAR
TOTAL NUMBER OF PRO BONO HOURS BY YEAR 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
continued from page 43
LSC anticipate laying off 393 employees, including 163 attorneys, in 2012. In December 2010, LSC-funded programs employed
44
4,351 attorneys, 1,614 paralegals, and 3,094 support staff . During 2011, LSC programs reduced their staffi ng by 833 positions through layoff s and attrition. T ey now anticipate a new round of layoff s this year, bringing the staffi ng loss to 1,226 full-time personnel. Lardent says fi rms are stepping up their minority
outreach to communities of color that have been harder hit by the recession. She says fi rms are working harder to reach minority demographics. “A decade ago, it was rare to see fi rms doing any type
of immigration pro bono work,” says Lardent. “Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed not to fi nd a large fi rm that doesn’t do immigration work.” PBI encourages fi rms to embrace cases dealing with evic-
tions, domestic violence cases, and securing public benefi ts for families. On the other hand, adds Lardent, “We (also) have fi rms
doing policy advocacy on pro bono work and big research projects. Firms have done ambitious analysis in the immi- gration adjudication system where they’ve spent 50,000 hours trying to get changes in the system.” Firms are also encouraged to do international pro bono
work. PBI signatories have been lauded for working with fi rms addressing human rights issues in Nepal, South America, and Canada, and are working with a nonprofi t in Namibia to bring light to small villages. To equip fi rms with the tools they need to do great pro
bono work, PBI invests much of its time in research. PBI has assembled a diverse group of industry experts to better understand the corporate legal landscape. “We want to understand what’s happening in large fi rms with respect to compensation and advancement, diff erent
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2012
Chart illustrates growth from 1995 to 2012. Not all fi rms are succeeding at the 3-5 percent goal. According to the ABA, in 1980 there were approximately 83 organized pro bono programs dedicated to referring civil matters for low-income clients to private attorneys. Now, 28 years later, there are close to 1000 such programs which serve increasingly diverse legal needs of clients and target an equally varied volunteer pool.
practice areas as well as what the management is worried about,” says Lardent. “Our advisory committee provides very candid insight into what is happening at large law fi rms.”
GOOD FOR BUSINESS Pro bono work is not simply good for society, it’s also good for business, Lardent insists. She says pro bono work can help young associates at a fi rm gain litigation experience and keep staff motivated when billable clientele declines. “Pro bono as professional development can really advance
young lawyers who don’t get many chances to get into court,” Lardent explains. “Pro bono can give them the litigation experience they need.” Borden agrees. “One thing PBI found is that people who do pro bono
work don’t do less billable work, they do more,” Borden says. “T ey get so motivated and energized by their pro bono work, they do a better job overall.” In 2000, PBI launched a program geared specifi cally for
legal departments, called Corporate Pro Bono. T e program is a partnership project between PBI and the Association of Corporate Counsel designed to increase the amount of pro bono work performed by in-house counsel. Corporate Pro Bono works closely with ACC chapters to focus their resources and agendas on pro bono service. “Legal departments have become more involved in pro
bono,” says Lardent. “Not only are they doing the work, they are increasingly wanting to partner with site fi rms.” For pro bono eff orts to succeed, they must be company-
wide, PBI offi cials say. “If pro bono is just for associates, it’s ultimately not going to thrive,” says Lardent. “We’ve seen a pickup in pro bono participation among both associates and partners, although associates participate at higher levels.” D&B
Michelle Nealy is a freelance writer and videographer based in Chicago.
MCCA.COM
NUMBER OF HOURS (MILLIONS)
1.584
1.568 1.525 1.379 1.459 1.686 1.855 2.27 2.32 2.252 3.276 2.226 4.286 4.844 4.868 4.451
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