|
I'm proud to report to you the statistics gathered from the 2003-04 licensing forms on the pro bono work performed, and the monetary gifts to legal services agencies made by members of the
Utah State Bar. A total of 1,615 attorneys - 21 % of the Bar - reported performing pro bono service or making monetary donations satisfying Rule 6.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
These attorneys reported performing a total of 88,125 hours of pro bono work, an average of nearly 55 hours for each attorney - well over the 36 hours per year aspirational goal of Rule
6.1. They also reported giving $111,897 in monetary contributions. Valuing the reported time at a conservative rate of $100 an hour, these numbers represent a total contribution to legal
services to the poor of $8.9 million!
In addition, defying the economic downturn, Bar members substantially increased their contributions over the previous reporting year. The
number of attorneys reporting their service and contributions rose by 345, the hours reported by $15,880, and the monetary contributions by $7,400. Also during the past year, another 155
attorneys were added to the Bar's pro bono referral list, which now includes 784 attorneys. We hope to see these numbers continue to rise as the two local law schools encourage pro bono
service by their students as an important component of a legal education. BYU's LawHelp clinic and the University of Utah's Pro Bono Initiative serve to revitalize the pro bono tradition
with each graduating class.
The reported numbers will be helpful as we address access to justice issues in the next legislative session. Demonstrating the contribution of Bar
members to legal services for the poor is one of the primary reasons the Bar asks you to report your pro bono service. So, next year, if you're tempted to bypass the pro bono reporting
portion of your licensing form, remember that by reporting your contributions, you're asking the state legislature to step up and do its part.1
More important, however, the numbers
reflect the widespread experience by Utah attorneys of their profession as not just a way to make a living, but a true calling. That experience is about the best antidote around to the
stress and other factors that can cause disillusionment to set in. If I were a betting person, I'd wager that the attorneys who meet or exceed the 36 hours per year aspirational goal of
Rule 6.1 are among the most satisfied in the profession.
So, the next time you experience incivility from your opposition or ingratitude from a client, reach for the phone and call
Charles Stewart, the Bar's Pro Bono Coordinator, at 297-7049. Tell him that you need a vaccine. He'll give you a pro bono matter that will restore your faith and perspective in your
chosen profession!
1.Note that all individual reports are kept completely confidential and destroyed after the statistics are tabulated.
|
