Celebrate Pro Bono Week: Top 5 Reasons to Do Pro Bono Work

By Robyn Hagan Cain on October 28, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Here at FindLaw, we understand the pressures of being a legal professional - most of us are recovering lawyers - so we want to help by tossing you that preferred life preserver of the legal profession, the short list.

Today's offering: Top Five Reasons to do Pro Bono work.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has deprived us of opinions as of late and it's the American Bar Association's Pro Bono Week; what better time to discuss pro bono work?

Though we're nearing the conclusion of Pro Bono Week , it's not too late for all you D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals attorneys to hop on the pro bono bandwagon.

Yes, we know that you're busy. With paying clients. But even if you're too busy to participate in Pro Bono Week festivities, you should still consider making time for pro bono work.

Hear us out. Here are FindLaw's top five reasons to do pro bono work:

Pro Bono Rules. The ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct Rule 6.1 states that lawyers should provide at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services per year.
Expand Your Horizons. So what if your day job keeps you tied to the Administrative Procedures Act? You can still assist people in need.
Image is Everything. If you don't want to volunteer your time to help people, do it for the recognition from your bar association.
Develop Your Skills. New attorneys, in particular, benefit from pro bono work. Tired of pushing paper? Want to actually argue before a court? Here's your chance.
Ego Boost. It's easy to develop a complex about this profession; everyone seems to hate lawyers. (Seriously. When was the last time you heard an architect joke or a teacher joke at a party?) Wouldn't it be nice to be appreciated for once? Pro bono clients need your help, and they genuinely appreciate your services.

Pro Bono Week is a fantastic time to investigate new pro bono opportunities both in and out of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. If you already volunteer pro bono services for people in need, challenge yourself this week to recruit another lawyer to do the same.

Related Resources:

Shenanigans: How to Report Judicial Misconduct in the D.C. Circuit (FindLaw's D.C. Circuit blog)
Top 5 Things to Know About New Deputy SG Sri Srinivasan (FindLaw's Supreme Court blog)
Blackwater Revival in Supreme Court? Defense Contractors Appeal (FindLaw's D.C. Circuit blog)
D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (US Courts)