![]() For example, the dispute in question must be one where we “can really help,” he says.Īlso, the legal matter must be manageable. However, one constant is that all work the firm does “support the American Indian community,” says Berkey.Īlthough they do not have a formalized procedure for determining which clients receive pro bono status, Berkey says his firm considers several aspects of a case to determine who is most deserving. “I simply give up my other work to focus on that (pro bono) case,” he says.Įspecially when there is so much need for pro bono, and even low-bono legal representation, it’s difficult for lawyers without a formal pro bono screening committee or even procedure to decide which clients do not have to pay for legal services.īerkey, whose firm works exclusively in American Indian Law, says that since his group is so small, members can meet to discuss which cases or causes appeal to them. ![]() He continues, laughing, “I’m not sure how we do that, actually.”įor Doug Slain, who works on his own, taking on a pro bono matter means all other clients and their legal concerns are put on hold. When they do take a case, he says, “We treat it like any other,” putting in just as many hours and as much intensity as they would for a paying client. However, she admits that if some kind of panel that’s not part of her regular pro bono activities asks her to participate and she’s busy, she will say no.Ĭurtis Berkey, a name partner with Alexander, Berkey, Williams & Weathers, LLP, says since his firm is small, with four lawyers at the main office in Berkeley, two in Washington, DC, and a part-timer in Montana, everyone can discuss which pro bono matters they wish to accept. Still, she juggles her calendar to “just schedule” pro bono work in. She handles civil litigation matters, primarily in personal injury matters and co-mediates divorces and child custody matters with a local marriage and family therapist. Primarily, Hudgins focuses her law practice on two areas. “I have to be able to fit it (pro bono work) into my schedule. “I just do it,” she says, laughing.īob Casper, a criminal defense attorney in San Rafael, says that while pro bono work has its place in his work life, so does the reality of paying bills. Despite the fact that offering her services for free doesn’t help pay the bills, Nancy Hudgins says she doesn’t think about how she manages to get it all done. It’s often challenging enough to keep up with the work of paying clients, let alone putting time into cases that aren’t bringing money in the door. So why, especially in these tough economic times, do local lawyers continue to represent clients for free?įour local attorneys share their stories. ![]() Many large firms even have pro bono coordinators whose job is to locate deserving clients or cases to receive free or discounted legal representation.Ĭonversely, it is more difficult for smaller law firms featuring fewer attorneys and support personnel to offer their services for free. Hudgins, a private practitioner with her own firm in San Francisco, says for her, pro bono work is about “giving back.”ĭue to the sheer number of lawyers, paralegals and support staff at larger law firms, it is often logistically easier for them to provide pro bono legal services. According to the Oakland criminal defense lawyer, “If I feel a defendant is not getting a fair shake in the legal system and I want to help them,” he does. “When I really believe a person is being abused by the legal system,” Doug Slain says, he might even take on their case for free.
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