Connecting attorneys, especially those working in the private sector, to relevant pro bono opportunities can take a surprising amount of time, often requiring coordinating multiple lawyers and organizations just to assign a case to a single volunteer.

Felicity Conrad, founder and CEO of Paladin, said these obstacles often keep attorneys from pro bono work altogether. “A lawyer currently has to be very proactive to take on a pro bono case, and for that reason they often don’t do it,” she said.