Pro Bono Collaborative Fall 2010 Newsletter

Seven Ways Your Firm Can Create and Maintain an Enduring Pro Bono Culture

This article is a shortened version of an article entitled "Ten Things Law Firms Can Do To Create and Maintain an Enduring Culture of Pro Bono," used with permission from its authors, Martin J. Bishop and Ellen M. Wheeler. The original article was first published in the January/February 2010 issue of The Bencher, a bi-monthly publication of the American Inns of Court.

1. Establish a Written Policy.
Having a written policy serves two fundamental purposes. First, like any set of rules, a written pro bono policy provides clarity for the lawyers who serve under it. Second, an express policy demonstrates a law firm's commitment to the provision of pro bono services. Policies can be as simple or as complex as circumstances at the firm warrant. Either way, there are a variety of resources available on the internet, including model policies that provide a good starting point for the adoption of a written pro bono policy.

2. Provide Billable Credit.
Offering billable credit for pro bono work will enable attorneys, particularly those whose compensation is linked to billable hours, to take on pro bono work without worrying that they will be penalized.

3. Offer an Abundance of Choice.
Offering a wide variety of pro bono projects is crucial to increasing the involvement of all attorneys. One challenge that many firms face is finding ways to involve non-litigators in pro bono work. Another challenge is overcoming attorney fears that a case will become too involved or take too much time. Offering a wide variety of pro bono work can help to overcome both these challenges. Offer short term, discrete projects for those attorneys that are reluctant to take on bigger, more amorphous projects.

4. Involve Firm Leadership.
It almost goes without saying that a firm cannot maintain a culture of pro bono unless pro bono work is supported and encouraged by the leaders of the firm. Regardless of a firm's official procedures and policies, junior attorneys will be reluctant to take on pro bono work if the senior attorneys with whom they work and on whom they are dependent for their work are not supportive. One of the best ways for management to convince other attorneys that the firm's commitment to pro bono work is real, is to engage in pro bono work themselves.

5. Engage in Constant Communication.
Law firms need to regularly and repeatedly provide their lawyers with the opportunity to engage in pro bono work by communicating with their attorneys about pro bono project availability and lawyers' capacity to serve on pro bono matters. Steady communication endorses the concepts of firm and leadership commitment to pro bono and otherwise assists in fostering a firm's pro bono culture.

6. Routinely Acknowledge Pro Bono Efforts and Successes.
Frequently, routinely, and publicly acknowledge the efforts and successes of attorneys engaging in pro bono work. A firm can and should acknowledge and reward the efforts of attorneys working on pro bono matters by simply "piggybacking" on methods it already uses to acknowledge the efforts of its attorneys on behalf of paying clients.

7. Make It Easy.
Everything about your pro bono program should be easy. Make it easy for your lawyers to obtain, process, and staff new matters. Make it easy for attorneys to get credit for what they do, be it billable credit or accolades from leadership. Make it easy to get relevant training, either by securing free training through local pro bono service providers, or by paying for outside training. Simply put, the easier things appear to be with your pro bono program, the more likely lawyers will be encouraged to get involved.