OnlineMasterofLegalStudies.com is owned by 2U, LLC, parent company of edX. Our goal is to help learners make confident, informed decisions about their education and career. Some programs shown here are offered by universities that partner with 2U, for which 2U provides marketing and operational support and receives compensation. Other programs shown may be paid advertisements from third parties. Both types of programs are identified with the word AD or Advertisement. We aim to keep information current and accurate. Learn more about edX and our partners.
Resources
The Ultimate Guide to Pro Bono Work for Legal Professionals
Pro bono work offers an avenue for paralegals, legal assistants, attorneys and other legal professionals to expand their expertise while serving their communities.
Resources for Working Professionals
Jan 19, 2021-12 MIN READ
Offering pro bono legal help is not limited to attorneys alone; professionals across a range of legal careers can volunteer their services. For students and working legal professionals, pro bono work can offer a way to build practical skills while serving people who may not otherwise be able to afford legal help. This guide explains what pro bono work is, who can participate, where to find opportunities, and what ethical boundaries legal professionals should keep in mind.
What Is Pro Bono Work?
“Pro bono” is short for the Latin phrase “pro bono publico,” which translates to “for the public good.” For legal professionals, this public good may include providing legal advice, reviewing or drafting documents, interviewing clients, speaking about or offering training on legal issues, being a member of a pro bono organization, or joining a bar committee related to access to justice.
The American Bar Association (ABA), Center for Pro Bono, defines pro bono to include:
- Primary pro bono service: legal services provided without fee or expectation of fee to people of limited means, or to organizations serving people of limited means.
- Additional law-related service: legal services at no fee or substantially reduced fee for certain individuals, groups, or organizations; reduced-fee services to people of limited means; and activities that improve the law, legal system, or legal profession.
Recognized as ABA Model Rule 6.1, the rule emphasizes free legal services for people of limited means or organizations that serve them, while also recognizing certain reduced-fee services and activities that improve the law, legal system, or legal profession.
A Brief History of Pro Bono Work in the United States
Pro bono work reflects the legal profession’s long-standing view that lawyers have a public-service responsibility, not only a business role. In the United States, organized civil legal aid efforts date back at least to 1876, when the German Immigrants’ Society, the predecessor to the Legal Aid Society of New York, began providing legal assistance to low-income people, according to the National Equal Justice Library’s history of civil legal aid. Over time, pro bono and civil legal aid work became more formalized through legal aid societies, bar associations, nonprofit legal services programs, and national access-to-justice efforts.
By 1974, Congress created the Legal Services Corporation to support civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC-funded organizations help address civil legal issues such as housing, family safety, consumer problems, benefits, employment, and other matters where people do not have the same constitutional right to appoint counsel that applies in many criminal cases.
The modern professional framework for lawyers' pro bono service is often tied to ABA Model Rule 6.1, which encourages lawyers to strive to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono legal service each year. The rule focuses especially on free legal services for people of limited means and organizations that serve them, while also recognizing other law-related public services.
Today, pro bono work is supported by a broader access-to-justice network. The ABA Center for Pro Bono provides technical assistance, planning support, and resources for bar associations, legal services offices, pro bono programs, law schools, corporate counsel, judges, government attorneys, and others working to expand volunteer legal services.
Who Does Pro Bono Legal Work?
Attorneys are central to pro bono legal work, but they are not the only legal professionals who can support access to justice. The ABA Center for Pro Bono provides resources for a wide range of groups involved in pro bono work, including bar associations, pro bono programs, legal services offices, law schools, corporate counsel, judges, and government attorneys. The ABA also maintains a page on the pro bono role of paralegals, recognizing that paralegals can support pro bono services when working under attorney supervision or other authorized legal frameworks.
Here’s how a range of legal professionals may engage in or support pro bono work:
Attorneys
The ABA’s Model Rule 6.1 says lawyers have a professional responsibility to provide legal services to people who cannot pay and should aspire to provide at least 50 hours of pro bono legal service each year. Attorneys may take on full pro bono matters, limited-scope representation, advice clinics, document review, brief legal consultations, or other services that fit their experience and the needs of the client or organization.
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Paralegals and legal assistants can support pro bono work by performing tasks such as client intake, document collection, legal research, case preparation, form completion, filing support, and communication with clients, under appropriate supervision. The ABA’s paralegal pro bono resource notes that paralegal pro bono service should occur under attorney supervision or as authorized by administrative, statutory, or court authority. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations’ Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility also addresses paralegal pro bono service and professional responsibility.
Judges
Judges generally do not represent clients in pro bono matters, but they can support access to justice in ways consistent with judicial ethics rules. The ABA’s guidance on judicial promotion of pro bono explains that court involvement can encourage pro bono participation and strengthen the delivery of legal services. Judges may work with courts, bar associations, and legal aid organizations to promote pro bono programs, training, recognition efforts, and access-to-justice initiatives.
Law Students and Legal Studies Students
Pro bono work can give law students and legal studies students exposure to legal systems, client needs, and access-to-justice issues. The ABA’s law student pro bono resources note that many law schools have formal pro bono or public service programs, and some require students to complete pro bono or public service work as a condition of graduation. Students should follow their school’s rules and work under appropriate supervision, especially when a project involves legal advice, client contact, or court-related work.
If you are still deciding which legal education path fits your goals, compare how Master of Legal Studies degrees differ from law school and attorney licensure pathways. Students considering legal support roles may also want to review our guide to becoming a paralegal before choosing a degree or volunteer opportunity.
The Need for Pro Bono Legal Professionals
The need for pro bono legal services is not limited to rare or unusual legal problems. It often shows up in everyday civil issues that affect a person’s housing, family safety, income, employment, consumer rights, or access to public benefits. Unlike many criminal cases, civil legal problems usually do not come with a guaranteed right to appointed counsel. As a result, people who cannot afford an attorney may have to make high-stakes decisions or appear in court on their own.
That gap can create an uneven process. A person facing eviction, debt collection, custody concerns, or a benefits dispute may be navigating legal proceedings while also managing the underlying crisis. The Maryland Access to Justice Commission describes pro bono work as one way the legal profession helps respond to the imbalance by supporting people who otherwise may not have legal representation:
Current legal aid data also points to a continuing gap between need and available help. The Legal Services Corporation’s FY 2025 budget request, released in 2024, said LSC-funded legal aid organizations were turning away about half of eligible applicants because of inadequate resources. The same request noted pressure points, such as rising evictions and record-high complaints in debt collection and consumer finance.
Pro bono work does not solve the civil justice gap on its own, but it is an important part of the response. The ABA Center for Pro Bono supports legal services offices, pro bono programs, bar associations, law schools, corporate counsel, judges, government attorneys, and other access-to-justice partners that help connect volunteer legal professionals with people and organizations in need.
How to Find Pro Bono Opportunities
A good first step is to look for pro bono opportunities through organizations that already screen clients, train volunteers, and match legal professionals with appropriate work. The ABA Center for Pro Bono supports pro bono programs, legal services offices, bar associations, law schools, corporate counsel, judges, and government attorneys. Its Volunteer Opportunities page points legal professionals to opportunities by location, practice area, client need, and service type.
Legal professionals can also use the National Pro Bono Opportunities Guide, a joint project of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, the ABA Center for Pro Bono, and Pro Bono Net. The guide lets volunteers search by state and connect with organizations that need legal help. For attorneys who want a flexible remote option, ABA Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal clinic where eligible users submit civil legal questions and volunteer lawyers licensed in their state provide brief answers online.
Paralegals and legal assistants should look for opportunities that fit their training and ethical limits. The ABA’s paralegal pro bono resource notes that paralegals can strengthen pro bono services by supporting volunteer attorneys and assisting clients, but their work should occur under the supervision of an attorney or within another authorized legal framework. Possible roles may include client intake, document collection, legal research, form preparation, clinic support, referral assistance, or case organization.
Employers can also be a useful starting point. Legal professionals working in law firms, corporate legal departments, courts, government offices, or nonprofit organizations can ask whether their workplace has a pro bono policy, approved volunteer partners, clinic days, credit for pro bono hours, or supervised opportunities for paralegals and legal support staff. Law students and legal studies students can ask their school’s career services office, legal clinic, public interest office, or pro bono program about approved volunteer options and supervision requirements.
State and local bar associations, legal aid organizations, courthouse help centers, law school clinics, paralegal associations, and issue-specific nonprofits may offer volunteer roles tied to local needs. NALA, a national paralegal association, recommends that paralegals look to legal aid organizations and the ABA’s National Pro Bono Opportunities Guide when searching for community volunteer opportunities.
The best pro bono opportunity is usually one that aligns with your role, schedule, skills, and ethical responsibilities, and connects you with a program prepared to support both volunteers and clients.
Where to Look for Pro Bono Opportunities
Legal professionals can start with national pro bono directories, then narrow their search to local legal aid organizations, bar associations, courts, law schools, and issue-specific nonprofits.
- ABA Center for Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunities: From the ABA, find pro bono opportunities, including national, state, and practice-area resources.
- National Pro Bono Opportunities Guide: A searchable directory of pro bono programs by state, type of work, and volunteer role.
- ABA Free Legal Answers: A virtual clinic where eligible users ask civil legal questions and volunteer attorneys licensed in their state provide brief answers online.
- Pro Bono Net: A national nonprofit that supports technology-based access-to-justice projects and connects volunteers with state and issue-specific pro bono networks.
- Immigration Advocates Network Volunteer Guide: A directory for lawyers, law students, and other volunteers looking for immigration-related pro bono opportunities.
- Legal Services Corporation grantee directory: A way to find LSC-funded legal aid organizations by location. These organizations may offer volunteer opportunities or connect legal professionals with local pro bono programs.
- State and local bar associations: Many state, county, and city bar associations operate pro bono projects, lawyer referral programs, legal clinics, or volunteer committees.
- Local legal aid organizations, courthouse help centers, and law school clinics: These programs often need support with intake, document preparation, research, clinics, referrals, and community legal education. Check each organization’s volunteer page for role requirements and supervision rules.
- Professional associations for paralegals and legal support staff: National, state, and regional paralegal associations may share volunteer opportunities, pro bono events, or legal clinic partnerships.
How to Choose Pro Bono Work That Is Useful and Sustainable
Pro bono work can benefit clients, communities, and legal professionals, but the best opportunities are not just the ones that fit into an open hour on a calendar. Strong pro bono work should be useful to the person or organization receiving help, appropriate for the volunteer’s role, and supported by training, supervision, and clear expectations.
Start With Client and Community Needs
The Legal Services Corporation’s Talk Justice episode, “The Benefits of Professionalizing Pro Bono”, frames pro bono as a service-delivery model rather than only a side project. That is a helpful way to think about volunteer legal work: the goal is not just to volunteer, but to volunteer in a way that is responsible, useful, and sustainable for both the client and the volunteer.
For attorneys, pro bono work may include direct representation, limited-scope legal help, brief advice clinics, document review, appellate work, policy advocacy, or support for nonprofit organizations. For paralegals, legal assistants, law students, and legal studies students, pro bono work may involve intake, research, document collection, form preparation, clinic support, referrals, or client communication under appropriate supervision. The right role depends on the volunteer’s training, licensing status, workplace policies, and the program's rules.
Look for Skill-Building and Professional Fit
Pro bono can also be an important professional development opportunity. The University of Virginia School of Law explains that pro bono work can help students explore practice areas, build legal skills, and create professional networks. Those benefits can extend beyond law students: legal professionals may gain exposure to new legal issues, improve client communication, strengthen research and writing skills, or better understand how legal problems affect people beyond their usual workplace.
For students and early-career legal professionals, pro bono can be a way to learn what kind of legal work feels meaningful. For experienced professionals, it can be a way to use existing skills in the service of clients and communities that might otherwise go without help.
Make Sure the Work Is Supported and Sustainable
Pro bono work requires planning. Harvard Law School’s Pro Bono Guide notes that business pressures, heavy workloads, uncertainty about taking on cases, and career considerations can make pro bono difficult to sustain. Before committing, volunteers should understand the project's scope, the expected time commitment, the training provided, who will supervise the work, and whether the project aligns with their ethical and professional responsibilities.
Legal professionals working in law firms, corporate legal departments, courts, government offices, or nonprofits may also want to ask how their employer supports pro bono work. Check whether an employer has a written pro bono policy, a structured program, pro bono coordinators, supervision, and clear rules for how pro bono hours are counted. These details matter because a workplace that supports pro bono can make it easier for volunteers to participate responsibly.
The most sustainable pro bono work is usually specific and well-supported. A limited-scope clinic, research assignment, forms project, or supervised intake shift may be more realistic than taking on an open-ended matter without enough training or time. Volunteers should also be honest about their capacity. A smaller commitment done well is more helpful than a larger commitment that cannot be completed.
How to Find Pro Bono Legal Help
People looking for free or low-cost legal help should start with organizations that screen requests and connect users with appropriate resources. Eligibility for pro bono representation varies by program, location, income, legal issue, and available capacity, so not every person or legal problem will qualify for full representation.
- For civil legal problems, the Legal Services Corporation’s legal aid locator can help people find LSC-funded legal aid organizations by location.
- LawHelp.org also provides free legal information, court forms, self-help tools, and referrals to nonprofit legal aid organizations in every state and territory.
- People who need brief online legal advice may use ABA Free Legal Answers, a virtual clinic where eligible users can submit civil legal questions and receive basic legal information or advice from volunteer attorneys.
- The ABA also maintains a broader Free Legal Help page with links to legal aid, lawyer referral services, legal information, and resources for specific groups.
State and local bar associations, legal aid societies, courthouse help centers, law school clinics, and community legal clinics may offer referrals, self-help materials, advice clinics or limited-scope assistance.
- The National Center for State Courts provides resources focused on self-represented litigants and court access that may be useful for people seeking to understand court processes and available court-based help.
People seeking legal help should be cautious about where they turn for advice. When in doubt, look for a licensed attorney, legal aid organization, court-based self-help center, law school clinic, or officially recognized legal services program.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. People facing a legal problem should consult an authorized legal professional or a qualified legal aid organization about their specific situation.
Information last updated: June 2026