Pro Bono work should be an essential component of every lawyer's career. In the Chicago area, a centralized resource, Illinois Legal Aid Online, provides numerous opportunities for lawyers and law students to become engaged in pro bono projects.
In addition, some law firms promote firm-wide pro bono programs in which lawyers are asked to handle a certain number of pro bono cases. These programs differ among the law firms but frequently include the following;
- Associate Service, where a law firm releases associates to work full-time for a period of time at a legal service provider;
- Matching Projects, where law firms agree to be matched with agencies serving poor people;
- Legal Clinics, where law firms have established their own legal clinic programs, staffed and administered exclusively by the attorneys and other employees of the firm.
For further information on Law Firm Pro Bono Opportunities, see the following resources:
- Pro Bono Guide: An Introduction to Pro Bono Opportunities in the Law Firm Setting, Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising Harvard Law School..
- Assessing a Law Firm's Commitment to Pro Bono, prepared by Columbia Law School, Center for Public Interest Law
- Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono Project
- Pro Bono Net