SACRAMENTO — For years, California State Bar leaders have toyed with the idea of making would-be lawyers complete a certain amount of pro bono work before gaining admission. The reasoning was twofold: the requirement would give legal rookies some real-world job training and the thousands of Californians who can’t afford a lawyer would get some knowledgeable help.
The proposal, however, was largely put on hold in recent years as the bar was swamped with turmoil and executive-level turnover. Now, plans for the pro bono requirement are being rekindled, not by the state’s legal leaders but by a San Diego state senator with a long career in higher education.
