File Under "O" for "Obvious"

I read this in the Indiana Lawyer today. A few key takeaways:

While an overwhelming majority of attorneys surveyed by the American Bar Association support pro bono work as a part of the legal profession, less than half indicated they were going to provide such help in 2017.

Perhaps it's because "pro bono" means "without pay" and most lawyers are struggling to make ends meet?

In the survey, 80.6 percent of the attorneys indicated they believe pro bono services are either somewhat or very important. But only 45 percent said they were either likely or very likely to offer free legal representation, and another 23 percent noted they were either unlikely or very unlikely to participate in pro bono work.

Attorneys were motivated to do pro bono by their desire to help people in need, ethical obligations, and professional duties. They were hindered from providing the service by lack of time, outside commitments to family and other personal obligations, and lack of experience in the practice areas needed by the pro bono clients. 

I wholeheartedly agree. In the universe of things I would rather do than work for free, I can find a lot of things . . . hang out with my family, go to the track, mow my yard, help my elderly neighbor clean up her front walk, etc. Additionally, if someone needs help with a divorce or a criminal charge, I'm not the guy. I am a civil litigator. If you require my skills, I can help. That I am a lawyer does not mean that I know everything about every law.

Further, if I handle someone's divorce pro bono and I screw up, guess who's on the hook for malpractice?

I offer free legal advice and help when I can; I just believe that all of the discussion about the merits of pro bono work tend to leave aside the challenges to it. There is a reason that most people don't do their jobs for free in their spare time. Lawyers are like most people. They have reasons as well.