Pro Bono in Large Law Firms

2 Credit Hours

This course will explore ethical, practical, and structural issues surrounding pro bono work and how associates can incorporate meaningful pro bono work into their law firm experience. The court also will explore law firm economics and how pro bono fits into the realities of law firm life. The course also will allow students the opportunity to connect with pro bono counsel at law firms about their ongoing pro bono programs and legal aid senior leaders about the access to justice crisis and how legal aid and pro bono are meeting the need for access to justice. Class discussions and readings will focus on a wide range of issues. The course will first explore the need for pro bono work and current inequalities in access to the legal system. We will examine the relationship between pro bono work and the concepts of professionalism, public service, and equal access to justice. The course will highlight pro bono work in various areas of interest, including racial justice (and the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance), immigration/refugees, domestic violence, and much more. The course will explore ethical issues that may arise in pro bono representation and will examine the structural issues affecting pro bono work in law firms. Finally, the course will examine opportunities in global law firms for international pro bono work, including challenges to doing such work.