Mandatory Pro Bono Continues to Face Challenges
April 30, 2024
In an effort to address unmet legal needs, some jurisdictions have tried their hand at mandatory pro bono service and reporting, but these systems continue to face challenges. Whether it is New Jersey’s longstanding requirement that lawyers represent indigent defendants or a new proposal in California that would ask lawyers to tell the state bar the number of pro bono service hours they complete each year, the debate among lawyers, state bar associations, and others continues. Background: Pro bono service has historically been encouraged, but not mandated. First adopted in 1983, the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct