National Jurist - September 2007 - (Page 12)

THE FIRMREPORT LAWSCHOOL Winston & Strawn’s pro bono commitment Winston & Strawn asked every lawyer and paralegal in the firm to sign a Pro Bono Pledge in 2003 to help commemorate the Chicago-based firm’s 150th anniversary. The pledge called for every attorney to devote at least 35 hours to pro bono work during the year. As by Michelle Weyenberg a result, the firm has increased its pro bono hours logged by at least 15 percent every year since 2002. “We are committed to growing our practice and using [pro bono] both as a means to have attorneys achieve ethical response to give back to the community and a significant professional development opportunity,” said Greg McConnell, director of public interest law at the firm. “We encourage young associates to get involved in pro bono work because it’s a good learning opportunity.” With the funds for legal services limited, and the need greater than ever, pro bono efforts by law firms are more important than ever. McConnell said leadership from the top — establishing an appropriate environment and expectations — is critical to the success of any firm’s pro bono program. “We want to make sure that people walk away from pro bono cases satisfied,” he said. One of the most critical law firm measures, after salaries, is the billable hours requirement. The requirement says a great deal about not only standards but also law firm culture, according to Vault.com. While associates may get both satisfaction and practical experience from pro bono work, the realities of firm revenue expectations may limit those opportunities. McConnell said Winston & Strawn doesn’t limit the amount of pro bono work its attorneys do, but the reality is that lawyers are busy. According to the 2006-07 NALP Directory of Legal Employers, approximately 50 percent of 459 responding firms encouraged at least 50 hours of pro bono hours worked. Many law firms have a written pro bono policy in place. Is there a minimum number of pro bono hours encouraged? Firm size 101-250 251-500 501-700 701+ Yes 34.2% 59.7% 43.4% 56.8% No 65.8% 40.3% 56.6% 43.2% # of offices reporting 225 293 83 329 Source: 2006-07 NALP Directory of Legal Employers Percent of attorneys providing pro bono services by practice setting Private practice Corporate counsel Government 73% 35% 33% Average annual contribution per attorney for pro bono services Private practice Corporate Government $286 $302 $177 Practice areas for pro bono work Family Business/corporate Consumer Estates/probate Elder Housing/evictions Criminal 34% 32% 23% 20% 16% 16% 17% 15% 11% Statistics provided by ABA Seminar footage puts Pittsburgh firm on hot seat A prominent Pittsburgh law firm “has been caught with their pants down,” says a labor official. Cohen & Grigsby, one of the state’s largest law firms, was embroiled in controversy over a video posted on the Internet in June. The video shows one of the firm’s lawyers explaining how to work around U.S. laws to obtain visas for foreign employees, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Attorneys for Cohen & Grigsby are seen in the video explaining how to abide by laws that require Americans be given top priority for jobs while intending all along to hire immigrants, the Tribune-Review said. An attorney tells participants “our goal is clearly not to a find a qualified and interested U.S. worker.” Since then, an immigration debate erupted, angering many U.S. lawmakers and a top Pennsylvania labor official. In a statement, the law firm said it stands by their Immigration Law Update Seminar. “We regret the choice of words that was used during a small segment of the seminar,” the state read. “It is unfortunate that these statements have been commandeered and misused, which runs contrary to our intent.” Lawmakers demanded to know how many visa petitions have been filed by the law firm and sent a letter to the secretary of labor to investigate the law firm’s ethics. —Michelle Weyenberg 12 THE NATIONAL JURIST September 2007 Civil rights Public benefits What motivates attorneys to do pro bono work? Lawyers ranked factors motivating them to perform their pro bono work over a 12month period. Professional responsibility and personal satisfaction Recognition and needs of the poor Professional benefits 70% 43% 15% information provided by NALP http://Vault.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - September 2007

National Jurist - September 2007 Contents Free Speech Disturbing the Peace For the Record Judge Approves $49 million BAR/BRI Settlement Law School Causes Emotional Stress, Study Finds New Textbook Breaks the Mold Southern Illinois Settles Lawsuit with Christian Legal Society Ave Maria Law Professors Protest School’s Move The Firm Report Student Hoax Shuts Down Hastings Law NCCU Grad Expands Her Program for Troubled Kids Hawaii Grad Finds Excitement in Saving Whales Diversity Hampering Whittier Accreditation? The Paper Chase Chronicles The Supreme Court: An Insider’s View Detroit Mercy’s Innovative Changes Pay Off Career Hotline The J.D. Files

National Jurist - September 2007

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