5 Reasons You Should Be Doing Pro Bono Work

For the ABA's Pro Bono Week, you might be trying to avoid the lawyers in your office that seem all too excited to put your name on a list of volunteers.

But, if the callous half of your brain forgot to schedule your vacation for this week, then you're going to get stuck doing some pro bono work because quite frankly, there's no good reason not to volunteer and you should.

If you need more convincing that doing pro bono work is good for you, your practice, and your community, below you'll find five reasons you should be doing pro bono work.

1. Legal Day Job Got You Down? Put on a Pro Bono Happy Face

Helping people free of charge results in you feeling good about yourself. If you don't like your day job, doing some pro bono work could not only make it all worthwhile, it can remind you exactly why you chose to be a lawyer in the first place.

2. How to Pro Bono Without Losing Money

Seriously, pro bono work can be really costly. Not just in terms of lost hours, but also in terms of lost billable hours. Time is money. And unpaid time is lost money. But, if you have some extra time you're not getting paid for, or you can chalk it up to marketing and networking, pro bono work can actually lead to rather lucrative relationships.

3. Pro Bono Services Can Pay Off for Your Practice

In addition to the chance to network with likeminded attorneys in different practice areas, you can also use pro bono work as a way to gain experience in an area you want to expand your practice to.

4. Pro Bono for Small Firms and Solos: 5 Ways to Make It Work for You

No two firms are the same. As such, you need to make doing pro bono work for you and your practice. Fortunately, since there is quite a bit of opportunity to do pro bono work, you should be able to find an organization that needs help that is just right for you.

5. How Tech Is Making Pro Bono Work Easier for Lawyers

If you suffer from a serious lack of time, and that's what's holding you back from volunteering, or doing pro bono work, then you still have no excuse. Thanks to the modern advances in technology, you can do pro bono work from the comfort of your own couch while in your pajamas, though it may be a bit trickier to find those opportunities.

Have an open position at your law firm? Post the job for free on Indeed, or search local candidate resumes.

Related Resources:

• Celebrate Pro Bono Week With the ABA (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
• ABA Celebrates Pro Bono Week With Recognition, Events (FindLaw's Strategist)
• Celebrate Pro Bono Week: Top 5 Reasons to Do Pro Bono Work (FindLaw's D.C. Circuit blog)

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