The New York bar is at the vanguard of a nationwide increase in lawyer pro bono.1 While no recent studies specifically address its levels in New York, I am certainly not alone in observing a renewed commitment to pro bono within the legal profession in this state in response to the growing legal needs of New Yorkers hurt by the economic downturn.
Bar associations around the state deserve much of the credit for this upswing, thanks to programs like the NYSBA’s “Empire Counsel,” which publicly recognizes the more than 1,000 lawyers, many of them solo and small firm practitioners, who contribute at least 50 hours of pro bono each year.
