This course will provide students with the tools needed to work in a large law firm pro bono practice. To understand how pro bono works in a large law firm, a student first needs to be familiar with how a large law firm works, both internally and in the marketplace. The first part of this course focuses on “law firm economics” so that students can answer the question (and then argue it or defend the answer in the future): how is it that the Top 100 revenue-producing law firms in the United States contribute, on average, about 60 hours of free legal services per attorney each year? What does the donation of 1½ weeks of productivity do to the firm’s bottom line? The class then focuses on the realities of pro bono practices, the relationship of law firm pro bono programs to legal aid and civil rights organizations, the business benefits of having a robust law firm pro bono program, the benefits to low-income communities and the local/national network of legal aid providers. All the while, the class continues to examine these issues and projects as they impact law firm management and economics. It is a unique look inside the world of large law firms, the impact of pro bono commitments, and the confluence of these important social and business drivers.
