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In light of the increased demand for legal services for the poor, bar associations and private law firms across the country increasingly encourage private attorneys to fulfill their professional obligations by providing the legal representation needed to address the unmet needs of the poor.

In 2006, the ABA House of Delegates adopted Report No. 121A urging all law firms to participate in pro bono and public service activities. It also recommends effective strategies to provide lawyers with opportunities to do pro bono work and urges firms to adopt specific internal policies and procedures to support such work.

Despite the countless hours of pro bono service being contributed by lawyers in private firms, there are several obstacles which constrain them from doing more. A recent ABA study, Supporting Justice II: A Report on the Pro Bono Work of America's Lawyers indicates that these obstacles include lack of time, lack of employer support, billable hour expectations, and the lack of specific expertise or skills in the required practice areas.

The ABA Center for Pro Bono provides technical assistance and planning advice to encourage law firms to develop pro bono policies and projects. The Center also produces a number of publications, maintains a national Clearinghouse of materials on a wide range of pro bono topics and operates the Peer Consulting Project. This web page is intended to support current and prospective lawyers seeking information about law firm pro bono.

• Foley & Lardner, LLP
• Fredrikson & Byron
• Holland + Knight - Policy on Pro Bono Legal Services
• Sample Firm Pro Bono Policies provided by the Tennessee Bar Association
• Law Firm Pro Bono Policy from the State Bar of Michigan
• Model Pro Bono Policy for Law Firms from the Tennessee Bar Association
• Proposed Model Pro Bono Policy for Law Firms from the Washington State Bar Association
• ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law Model Law Firm Pro Bono Policy

• BLUEPRINT for Constructing a Pro Bono Project in a Mid-Size Law Firm
• How to Create an Effective Law Firm Pro Bono Program (NALP Bulletin, February 2007)
• Pro Bono Reference Guide (Public Interest Law Initiative)
• The ABCs of Creating a Pro Bono Policy for Your Law Firm (The Canadian Bar Association)
• Managing a Pro Bono Program (Chicago Council of Lawyers)
• Renaissance of Idealism in the Legal Profession: Pro Bono & Public Service Best Practices Resource Guide

• National Pro Bono Opportunities Guide
• ABA Volunteering Page

• Business Law Pro Bono Project
• The ABC Manual: Starting and Operating a Business Law Pro Bono Project

• Path to Pro Bono: An Interviewing Tool for Law Students
• NALP Directory of Legal Employers
• Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono
• Law Students Building a Better Legal Profession
• American Lawyer Pro Bono Rankings
• American Lawyer A-List
• BC Law Firm Pro Bono Guide for Students
• Pro Bono Practices Guide: A National Guide to the Pro Bono Practices of 30 Australian Law Firms
• Guide to Split Summers (Yale Law School)
• Law Firms Sponsoring Public Interest Summers and Public Interest Fellowships – Opportunities for Current Law Students & Recent Graduates (Harvard Law School)
• Law Firms Offering Post-Graduate Public Interest Fellowships – Opportunities for Graduating Law Students, Judicial Clerks and Practicing Lawyers (Harvard Law School)
• Law Firms Offering Public Interest Externships or Rotations – Opportunities for Full-Time Associates (Harvard Law School)
• Private Public Interest and Plaintiff’s Firm Guide (Columbia Law School and Harvard Law School)

• Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCO)
• Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Pro Bono Initiative
• Pro Bono Institute
• Pro Bono Net
• ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Model Rule 6.1
• After the JD: First Results of a National Study of Legal Careers