Copyright 2000 Gannett Company, Inc.
USA TODAY
September 25, 2000, Monday, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 18A
LENGTH: 374 words
HEADLINE:
Pro bono work still valued
BYLINE: Robert N. Weiner
BODY:
The great judge, Learned Hand, once
identified the central commandment
in a democracy, "Thou shalt not ration
justice." As caretakers
of our system of justice, lawyers have a special
obligation to
ensure access to justice for those who cannot afford legal
fees.
The legal profession has embraced its obligation to serve the
poor. Our model code of ethics instructs that, "A lawyer should
aspire
to render at least 50 hours of pro bono public legal services
per year,"
primarily to persons of limited means.
The legal profession can be proud of
its record. The recent survey
indicating a drop in pro bono hours covers
only some large firms,
not the profession as a whole. The largest 500 firms
donated more
than 2 million pro bono hours in 1999. Moreover, the vast
majority
of lawyers do not practice in large firms. These lawyers, including
government attorneys and corporate counsel, also do valuable pro
bono
work, serving as the last best hope of the least fortunate
among us.
Indeed, many lawyers, from every corner of the profession, have
toiled with great dedication on behalf of the poor. The American
Bar
Association (ABA), for example, launched an effort to obtain
representation
for disabled children denied Social Security benefits.
Thousands of lawyers
responded. In addition, with numerous projects
ranging from rural pro bono
to child custody to immigration and
asylum, ABA has worked with state and
local programs linking many
thousands of lawyers with even more clients.
Nonetheless, we meet less than 20% of the legal needs of the poor,
far short of ensuring access to justice. In addition to pro bono
efforts, federal funding of the Legal Services Corp.
remains critical.
The paradox here is that prosperity -- higher
billable hours --
indeed has put pressure on pro bono time. But this will
not last.
Firms must compete for the best law students. They remain
idealistic,
and a prime area of competition is the firms' pro bono programs.
We expect that this new generation of lawyers will reinforce our
profession's commitment to its most basic values.
Robert N.
Weiner is chairman of the American Bar Association's
Standing Committee on
Pro Bono and Public Service.
LOAD-DATE: September 25, 2000
