CBA Record

PRO BONOWEEK 2016– CARING, ONE PERSON AT A TIME

By Margaret C. Benson

Caring, One Relationship at a Time Pro Bono: One Motivator at a Time

P ro bono is pitched to attorneys from the moment they enter law school. Once they graduate, the volume turns up higher as law grads are repeatedly urged to help bridge the access to justice gap. Many recent graduates also recognize a significant incentive pro bono offers—it lets them practice law with real clients who have real problems. And, quality pro bono programs provide themwith practical training for areas of law.

Alleviate the Monotony of Daily Work Whether you litigate, create and review transactional documents or counsel cor- porations for a living, at some point, your everyday work becomes, well, everyday. Not so tedious that you don’t like your job, but enough that, once in a while, you dream of doing something different. Con- sider different as in…pro bono.

Incentives, such as experience and train- ing, encourage people to spend precious free time to help strangers. The problem is, once an attorney gets into the middle years of practice, the practical but less altruistic benefits of pro bono wane. Or, do they? Veteran attorneys should consider some of the less obvious benefits that a steady pro bono practice can offer.

34 OCTOBER 2016