# Pro bono bullshit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132 "2010-09-09T02:43:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/461 "2010-09-15T15:10:38Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Watch out! You’re going to get beaten up by a gang of 'tards and then tasered by some pigs. \*\*Rand Rover \*\*knows–he’s heard about this sort of thing, after all. The partner looked at me kind of funny when I asked if “crazies” was the preferred term to use in the brief. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/462 "2010-09-15T19:59:36Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Work for goats? When a Mommy Goat and a Daddy Goat love each other very much… ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/463 "2010-09-15T21:50:35Z")
They end up with a goat, see? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/464 "2010-09-15T21:53:54Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > They end up with a goat, see? On Christmas Island? ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/465 "2010-09-16T16:13:34Z")
I dunno maybe you should quit lawyering and do construction or something. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/466 "2010-09-16T16:38:03Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > > [@Muffin](#): > > > > They end up with a goat, see? > > On Christmas Island? Unless a pro bonar lawyer were to fight the account cancellation. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/467 "2010-09-16T16:47:41Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > > [@Bosstone](#): > > > > On Christmas Island? > > Unless a pro bonar lawyer were to fight the account cancellation. Christmas Islanders opened themselves wide up to goat jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/468 "2010-09-16T16:52:36Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > > > Besides, my friends really dig buying goats on the internet. > > You know, I know what you mean with the Oxfam shop (their slogan over here is “EinZIEGartige Geschenke”, which is a pune or play on words) - but in the age of goatsex, I _think_ you should have phrased that a bit … different. :eek: I thought we were still in Aquarius. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/469 "2010-09-16T17:08:39Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Ah, Page 10. I was beginning to think I’d lost my touch, but here we are. Obvious Troll is Obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/470 "2010-09-16T17:15:06Z")
Just to be clear- **Rand Rover** you swore an oath saying you would do your best to do pro bono work, but you’re not going to because there are no repercussions? It seems to me that this means that your word has no value, which apparently is fine with you. Does this sound accurate? Do you feel the same way about marriage vows? I am genuinely curious. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/471 "2010-09-16T17:15:26Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Obvious Troll is Obvious. I agree but how dissapointed he must be that no one took the bait when, as part of his schtick, he brings up his Unique Wittle Snowflake. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/472 "2010-09-16T17:29:44Z")
> [@Quint](#): > > Just to be clear- **Rand Rover** you swore an oath saying you would do your best to do pro bono work, but you’re not going to because there are no repercussions? It seems to me that this means that your word has no value, which apparently is fine with you. Does this sound accurate? Do you feel the same way about marriage vows? I am genuinely curious. Nope. Not accurate at all. I did not swear an oath saying I would do my best to do pro bono work. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/473 "2010-09-16T18:10:58Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Obvious Troll is Obvious. Subtlety is just one of the many words that are not in **RR** ’s vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/474 "2010-09-16T19:56:52Z")
I still don’t understand why you’d care, **RR**. As I understand it, when you do pro bono work, you still get paid your salary. It’s the firm that pays for the work, is that correct? Wasn’t that said upthread? If that’s true, then what do you care which of clients A, B, or C is rich and which is poor? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/475 "2010-09-16T20:00:30Z")
_Because_, horseshoe, the people who would need pro bono assistance are cretins. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/476 "2010-09-16T20:08:22Z")
Cretins \*and \*hooligans, who will stalk him and attack his family. Stupidly. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/477 "2010-09-16T20:08:46Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > > [@Quint](#): > > > > Just to be clear- **Rand Rover** you swore an oath saying you would do your best to do pro bono work, but you’re not going to because there are no repercussions? It seems to me that this means that your word has no value, which apparently is fine with you. Does this sound accurate? Do you feel the same way about marriage vows? I am genuinely curious. > > Nope. Not accurate at all. I did not swear an oath saying I would do my best to do pro bono work. OK. It seemed earlier that others thought you had taken such an oath, or something similar. Would you say there is room for disagreement about whether or not you made some kind of promise to that effect to some kind of guild, or am I just misunderstanding things? Oh, and my two-year-old is almost certainly cuter and smarter than your two-year-old. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/478 "2010-09-16T20:20:21Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Cretins \*and \*hooligans, who will stalk him and attack his family. Stupidly. Ruffians, jackboots and blackguards of the lowest sort, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/479 "2010-09-16T20:28:39Z")
Lock up your dustbins! ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132/480 "2010-09-16T20:30:45Z")
> [@Quint](#): > > OK. It seemed earlier that others thought you had taken such an oath, or something similar. Would you say there is room for disagreement about whether or not you made some kind of promise to that effect to some kind of guild, or am I just misunderstanding things? > > Oh, and my two-year-old is almost certainly cuter and smarter than your two-year-old. The Introduction to the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct states the following: > [@](#): > > It is the responsibility of those licensed as officers of the court to use their training, experience and skills to provide services in the public interest for which compensation may not be available. It is the responsibility of those who manage law firms to create an environment that is hospitable to the rendering of a reasonable amount of uncompensated service by lawyers practicing in that firm. > > Service in the public interest may take many forms. These include but are not limited to pro bono representation of persons unable to pay for legal services and assistance in the organized bar’s efforts at law reform. An individual lawyer’s efforts in these areas is evidence of the lawyer’s good character and fitness to practice law, and the efforts of the bar as a whole are essential to the bar’s maintenance of professionalism. > > The absence from the proposed new rules of ABA Model Rule 6.1 regarding pro bono and public service therefore should not be interpreted as limiting the responsibility of attorneys to render uncompensated service in the public interest. Rather, the rationale for the absence of ABA Model Rule 6.1 is that this concept is not appropriate for a disciplinary code, because an appropriate disciplinary standard regarding pro bono and public service is difficult, if not impossible, to articulate. That ABA Model Rule 6.1 itself uses the word "should’’ instead of "shall’’ in describing this duty reflects the uncertainty of the ABA on this issue. Most attorneys interpret this as them having an ethical responsibility to do pro bono work where possible. **RandRover** doesn’t, apparently because there is no sanction attached. God forbid that is the ethical lesson he is teaching his child, but hey, his choice. As for taking time away from spending with one’s child, well, I’d rather my son grew up knowing that I was willing to spend time and effort helping other people rather than thinking of only myself and my blood kin. But again, he has his choice on how to raise his child. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-bono-bullshit/553132.md?page=25)