What is “pro bono service”?

The phrase “pro bono” is short for the phrase “pro bono publico,” which means “for the public good.” It can refer to the gratis provision of any type of professional service, but is typically understood to mean attorneys using their legal training and skills to improve society without expectation of payment.

The concept of donating our skills is so important that it has been incorporated into Indiana’s Rules of Professional Conduct. The preamble to these Rules reminds us that:

• A lawyer should be mindful of deficiencies in the administration of justice and of the fact that the poor, and sometimes persons who are not poor, cannot afford adequate legal assistance. Therefore, all lawyers should devote professional time and resources and use civic influence to ensure equal access to our system of justice for all those who because of economic or social barriers cannot afford or secure adequate legal counsel.

This directive is also the basis of Rule 6.1, which encourages all attorneys to render “public interest legal service,” and to “provide uncompensated legal assistance to poor persons.”