Firms Pay for Pro Bono
Big law firms are paying twice to work on high-profile pro bono cases.
The firms donate their lawyers’ time and pay expenses to work on the cases. But in some cases they first pay public-interest groups for the referrals, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Firms are willing to donate to get interesting cases partly because they use their pro bono programs as a recruiting tool.
Lawyers Without Borders Inc. charges $7,500 to lawyers who want to work for free on projects to strengthen legal systems in other countries, the newspaper says. Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Inc. gives dibs on its cases to firms that have given donations.
Former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger now heads up pro bono work for Proskauer Rose. “These cases don’t just come,” he told the newspaper. “You’ve got to pony up.”
