Pro Bono

Two weeks ago, we discussed "free" consultations and the fact that a lot of lawyers do not provide them.  It would be wrong to think that lawyers don't do anything for free.  Lawyers do a lot of work.  Pro bono is Latin for "for the good".

I believe pro bono work is a better way of delivering free services then doing free consultations for everyone.  Lawyers occasionally meet clients who are in desperate need of legal help but cannot afford it.  Often, the lawyers then decide to offer their services at no charge.

We do this out of a sense of duty and compassion. We don't do it for any recognition.  Lawyers also don't announce to the world that they have done x number of hours of pro bono work.

Some people believe that their case is one that cries out for "Justice" and that it is the type of case that every lawyer would want to pursue on a pro bono basis, because it would be good for their reputation.  That's not how I look at it.

I have one client who is an adult with limited mental ability.  As a result, people have taken advantage of this client and this client regularly needs little bits of advice in day-to-day living. I am this client's lawyer.  What that means, is that this client calls me regularly for advice and I occasionally need to do some legal work for the client.  This client lives on welfare and would not obtain legal aid for the services that I give.  I'm happy to provide those services at no charge.

Most lawyers have a few clients like the one I described above.  They call once in a while and occasionally need some work done by us.

Lawyers also are free to adjust their fees to reflect the circumstances of their particular client.  For example, our firm charges lower hourly rates for registered charities and not-for-profit organizations. Often, we offset our fee with a donation to the charity.

Many lawyers also spend significant amounts of time assisting the community.  Maybe it is attending career day at the local high school, being a guest speaker for a law class or providing information seminars to community groups.

I think it is better to be selective when providing free legal services.  This way, I can ensure that the people that are least able to pay are the ones that are most likely to benefit from our free services.  I think this is better than a blanket approach of free consultations for everyone that walks in the door.

On another subject, I predicted on March 14 of this year that Marty McSorley would be convicted and get a ?light? sentence.  In fact, he was just found guilty and given a discharge.  He could not have been given a lighter sentence.  However, the point was made: unnecessary violence, even in a violent sport, will attract criminal penalties.