# What percentage of lawyers do Zero Pro Bono work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742 "2010-10-11T02:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/21 "2010-10-11T16:01:44Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > If I may ask a related question within the confines of GQ standards: > > Given the point **Rand Rover** has belabored in the Pit thread linked to in the OP, does any lawyer have quick access to figures, without wading through 51 sets of bar association standards and bar admission/license retention rules, to how many states mandate pro bono work (or the equivalent, as noted), as opposed to the loophole **RR** has brought up that, while stated as a professional responsibility in Illinois, it is not strictly _required_? Count a mandate one may be excused from (e.g., a lawyer recovering from traumatic injury would be excused) as one with a mandate. I think this information might be quite interesting. > [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > > [@Polycarp](#): > > > > If I may ask a related question within the confines of GQ standards: > > > > Given the point **Rand Rover** has belabored in the Pit thread linked to in the OP, does any lawyer have quick access to figures, without wading through 51 sets of bar association standards and bar admission/license retention rules, to how many states mandate pro bono work (or the equivalent, as noted), as opposed to the loophole **RR** has brought up that, while stated as a professional responsibility in Illinois, it is not strictly _required_? Count a mandate one may be excused from (e.g., a lawyer recovering from traumatic injury would be excused) as one with a mandate. I think this information might be quite interesting. > > No state requires a lawyer to do pro bono work. Why the non-attorneys on this board have gotten that idea in their heads, I’ll never know. > > Like **RR** , I’m also beginning to resent the idea that attorneys alone among the professions are obligated to render these services for free. To tell you the truth, attorneys see our pro bono _aspirations_ (note the choice of words) as a matter of grace and _noblesse oblige_—not one of penance. Don’t make us think better of our generosity by getting greedy. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Poly–I believe Kimmy is correc that no state has rules of professional conduct that require pro bono work. > > However, in googling around last night, I saw a discussion of the language used in the oath in one state (not sure which one). The language was squirrley and fuzzy but couldprobably provide at least weak support for the idea that lawyers in that state had promised to do pro bono. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Here’s one data point for **Polycarp** ’s question … > > Per my NV-licensed attorney wife … > > In Nevada the (simplified) rules are: > > 1. You \*should \*do 20 hours per year of pro bono. > > 2. If you don’t do 1., you \*should \*donate $500 or more to an organization that does law-related pro bono work. > > 3. Each year you \*must \*report how much pro bono you did or didn’t do. There’s a space for this on your annual license renewal paperwork. > > In my wife’s case, she provides legal services to her church for free. Most years this exceeds 20 hours by a decent multiplier. **[MODERATOR INSTRUCTIONS]** Once again, please limit this discussion strictly to the questions in the OP (including the rephrased question in **Blalron’s** second post). Questions about an attorney’s responsibility or what he or she “should” do are by their nature matters of opinion. Either take it to the Pit thread, or start a new one in GD. > [@Balthisar](#): > > And what attorneys are you asking about? Too many people think that attorneys are people in law firms, like on television. There are a large number of attorneys that work law exclusively and as employees for companies. Are they lumped in the with the number of law office lawyers that should be counted in the pro bono figures? I think this response is pertinent to the OP, since it will affect the percentages given. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/22 "2010-10-11T17:13:50Z")
I suspect that because of varied reporting requirements and goals for Pro Bono service we may not be able to get a hard number beyond the provided cites, that truly identifies the complete universe of lawyers who do or do not perform Pro Bono services. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/23 "2010-10-11T17:25:13Z")
OK, back on topic. The cite I linked to above was all I found using standard GQ research diligence (ie, 5 minutes of googling). In a larger sense the actual number is very difficult to determine given lawyers incentives to misrepresent the amount of pro bono work they do. And I think the above runs in both directions–a lawyer may say they do some when they don’t in an anonymous polling situation and may say they do none when they do some in a self-reporting to the bar situation (perhaps out of concerns about proving up the number of pro bono hours or a desire to keep even the fact of the representation confidential). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/24 "2010-10-11T19:01:52Z")
I will simply enter my apology to the GQ staff for asking a question not previously defined as verboten which to me seemed relevant to the discussion. There was no intent to cause problems but merely to see if the point **Kimmy** responded to me with was in fact universal or varied across jurisdictions. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/25 "2010-10-11T20:03:04Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I will simply enter my apology to the GQ staff for asking a question not previously defined as verboten which to me seemed relevant to the discussion. There was no intent to cause problems but merely to see if the point **Kimmy** responded to me with was in fact universal or varied across jurisdictions. No apology necessary; it wasn’t your fault. Your question is related, and normally I would allow it. However, because of the heated Pit thread currently going on, and because much of that discussion is related to differing interpretations of words like “mandated,” “responsibility,” and so forth, I think it’s better to keep this narrowly focused. You’ll note that, as much as you tried to define your question to remain within GQ limits, it was immediately seized on as the basis for editorializing by **Kimmy**. I think it’s better not to go there, lest we end up with another 1,500-post monster. 😉 Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/26 "2010-10-12T20:54:40Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > And what attorneys are you asking about? Too many people think that attorneys are people in law firms, like on television. There are a large number of attorneys that work law exclusively and as employees for companies. Are they lumped in the with the number of law office lawyers that should be counted in the pro bono figures? I’ll take whatever data is available. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/27 "2010-10-12T21:09:12Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > (perhaps out of concerns about proving up the number of pro bono hours or a desire to keep even the fact of the representation confidential). Honest question - is there ever really a need to “prove” you’ve actually done the number of pro bono hours you’ve claimed? I know you and I disagreed in the other thread, but I’m willing to defer to your greater experience here. My understanding, though, is that in Maryland, it’s pretty strictly self-reporting and no verification. Perhaps if someone actually went to the bar and accused me of lying, there might be an investigation - but short of that, the number I put on the form is the end of the matter. That being said, I do think you’re on to something here - when I fill out the form, I probably do tend to under-count my hours. Not because I’m worried about having to verify my work to others, exactly - but I’d feel like I jerk if I gave myself credit for more pro bono than I’d actually done. ---
**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:** [October 13, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/28 "2010-10-13T00:54:16Z")
Yeah, I don’t know, Mr. E. What I was really thinking about when I wrote that is that I report zero charitable contributions on my tax return each year even though th e real number isn’t zero just ecause I want to present as clean a return as possible (I’m in a high audit risk category). I suppose that a lawyer who is under investigation may try to use pro bono in his defense, and at that point the number of hours would be under scrutiny, so a lawyer may not want to put down a number they can’t prove up to the nth degree. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/29 "2010-10-13T03:11:14Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > …when I fill out the form, I probably do tend to under-count my hours. What form? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/30 "2010-10-13T04:00:37Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > > [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > > > …when I fill out the form, I probably do tend to under-count my hours. > > What form? 😕 The form the Maryland bar has me submit every year reporting the number of hours I’ve spent on pro bono work. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/31 "2010-10-13T14:25:28Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > > > What form? 😕 > > The form the Maryland bar has me submit every year reporting the number of hours I’ve spent on pro bono work. Got it. Sorry for my confusion; my bars do not call for any such. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742/32 "2010-10-13T16:01:24Z")
Nor does the Ohio bar, although it is encouraged. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-lawyers-do-zero-pro-bono-work/556742.md?page=1)