MONTGOMERYBAR.ORG
SIDEBAR FEATURE
Pro Bono Amidst a Pandemic By Luz Denise Negron-Bennett, Esq.
N
ot many people like the idea of working for free. In fact, you should be rewarded for all your hard work. Not only does the average attorney leave law school with about $160,000 in loan debt, they also have bills to pay. Still, the heavy demands on an attorney’s time and the difficulty of establishing good work-life balance can lead to burnout. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this and brought to light how work-life imbalance can negatively impact a lawyer’s mental health and overall well-being. I write to encourage all to give pro bono work its due place in your life. There are many benefits that come from providing free legal assistance.
Improved Wellness The concept of well-being in social science research is multi-dimensional and includes, for example: engagement in interesting activities, having close relationships and a sense of belonging, developing confidence through mastery, achieving goals that matter to us, feeling a sense of meaning and purpose, forming a sense of autonomy and control, and encouraging selfacceptance and personal growth. Pro bono work promotes many of these concepts. For example, your firm job may pay the bills but may not be something you are passionate about. Working to help the underserved cannot only help you practice in a new area of law but can also make you feel purposeful. Another example is that you can develop mastery of your area of law and engage in an area of interest to you. One particular well-being concept is that of having close relationships and a sense of belonging. Loneliness, if not addressed, can lead to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse as a means to cope. An important part of well-being is social wellbeing and enjoying a true sense of belonging in the workplace helps us thrive socially as we connect with others. There are so many avenues of pro bono work that double as socially engaging activities. You gain exposure to new clients, new colleagues, and new ideas. All these can make it so we feel connected to others, even in a Zoomed-out world.
Good for Business or Career Growth An article in Forbes magazine notes that there are four times that working for free might make good business sense. The first is when the opportunity will give you real-life experience. The second being when the experience will give you legitimate exposure. The third is when you’re supporting a cause you believe in. Finally, the fourth is when the affiliation will be an impressive addition to your résumé.1 I can attest to the truth of these benefits from volunteering. I hung my shingle immediately after graduating law school. My pro bono/low bono work with area agencies such as Philadelphia VIP, HIAS PA, Nationalities Services Center, and the Modest Means Legal Access Program (MMLAP) gave me the experience, confidence, and exposure to get me paying clients quickly. Above that, I began to make a name for myself in the legal community with other attorneys and with the judges. This has allowed me to grow my solo practice exponentially in just six years. The best part is that I have been helping those who struggle to access legal services to get good advocacy and great lawyering for no or little cost. This feeling of giving back is priceless.
Improved Job Satisfaction Speaking on the importance of volunteerism, The American Presidency Project, Proclamation 10012—National Volunteer Week, 2020, stated, “Civic engagement and volunteer service strengthens the fabric of our Nation and reflects the true heart, spirit, and goodness of America.” Giving is part of the culture of this country but more than that, it is essential to improving how we feel about our jobs and our profession. Why is this important? Job satisfaction leads to employee retention and greater productivity. Additionally, there are cost savings to the employer including replacement costs totaling six to nine months’ salary for each employee retained. The ABC’s - Lawrence S. Krieger and Kennon M. Sheldon, Ph.D., Empirical analysis shows that encouraging Autonomy, Belonging, and Competency (ABC’s) leads to lawyer happiness and job satisfaction. These studies also found that promoting the ABC’s through pro-bono opportunities had a positive effect on lawyer job satisfaction. The
Morin, Amy. Forbes. “There Are Only 4 Times You Should Agree to Work For Free”, June 18, 2017.
1
26 SIDEBAR
