Letting In-House Counsel Serve Their Communities Through Pro Bono Services

Corporate Counsel
October 29, 2012

“In the majority of states, in-house counsel who are licensed in another jurisdiction (but not in the jurisdiction in which they currently work) are allowed to work for their company, but they are either barred—or significantly restricted—from engaging in pro bono work.

These unnecessary bans and restrictions limit the number of in-house counsel who provide pro bono services, reduce the number of clients served, and increase burdens on already overworked legal services organizations.

This is one of the worst times for outdated rules to restrict the delivery of services across state lines. We are now facing what Esther Lardent of the Pro Bono Institute calls a “perfect storm” that has created a crisis in access to justice. In these tough economic times, more people than ever need free legal services – while at the same time, states are cutting their legal aid budgets.”