In-house lawyers typically have a very full schedule and finding time for anything but the company’s legal needs is difficult. Yet, more and more in-house legal departments are finding ways for their members to participate in pro bono programs, i.e., providing free legal services to the community. In addition to providing a much-needed service, engaging in pro bono work provides many other benefits to the individual, the legal department, and the company. Below we explore why starting or expanding a pro bono program is a worthwhile goal for all legal departments and discuss some of the key things to have in place as you develop your program.
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There are plenty of benefits to a legal department that starts a pro bono program. We’ll start with the obvious – there are many, many people out there who cannot afford legal services. Pro bono services are one way that the less advantaged in our society can obtain basic assistance with legal problems and enforce or protect legal rights that might otherwise fall by the wayside due to lack of ability to pay.
In addition to simply “doing good,” here are several other benefits:
exporters knowingly avoided U. S. duties on Asian and European flat-rolled steel products, agreeing to pay $19 million to resolve the dispute, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the U...