Growing up, I
was always told to give back and to help others less fortunate than
myself. I remember thinking at first, it
was annoying, time consuming, and if I’m not getting paid, why should I waste
my time? However, after starting a
community service project (granted, required by my parents), I quickly learned
that it was more than just helping others, it was helping myself grow as an
individual and leader as I learned compassion, empathy, and how to assist
others who could not afford assistance themselves.
Flash-forward to
today, I have spent a majority of my life helping others free of charge,
whether it’s been volunteering for the Children’s Hospital, or through the
Ronald McDonald House. When I came to
Law School, I figured I wouldn’t have enough time to give back…that was until I
learned about pro-bono. Pro Bono is
essentially taking on a case free of charge, or at least giving someone brief
advice on how to proceed with a legal issue.
In the Columbus Legal Community, we have a plethora of Pro Bono Programs
ranging from weekly brief advice clinics, to tax clinics where those who fall
below the poverty line are able to get their taxes completed free of
charge. While helping others may seem
annoying, time consuming, or even “worthless,” here are some of the reasons you SHOULD do Pro Bono.
You Help Yourself by Helping Others: Pro Bono is helping people who do not
have the means to help themselves. By
helping these individuals with their legal issues, you gain a greater
perspective on which you are and are able to better prioritize what issues are
genuinely important to you. You get to
see how lucky you are, and how much people appreciate even the simplest acts of
kindness. For many of us, we were raised
privileged with strong families, wealth, and opportunities that were
immeasurable. With Pro Bono, you are
helping someone who perhaps is the exact opposite, giving you a chance to learn
that sometimes, the little things are not worth stressing over, even in the
classroom.
You Learn to Prioritize: When you commit to pro-bono, you make a
commitment to help out, either as an attorney or a law student. When you do this, you should follow
through. Following through helps you to
prioritize how you get your work done and how you spend your days. For example, if you know you have two hours
between classes, maybe get your work done for the coming day and outline then,
rather than wait and say you have too much to do, so you cannot attend pro
bono.
People Really Need You: We sometimes forget when we are
self-sufficient that people really need us sometimes. Without you being at a Pro Bono event, a
client may miss necessary legal advice to help them keep a roof over their
heads or feed their children.
It Looks Really Good: When
you came to Law School, I’m sure you thought, as I did, I’m going to be top of
the class, land a job at a massive firm, and make six figures before 30. To me, that’s what originally looked REALLY
good. However, as I went through 1L and
realized that job opportunities are limited, I saw how important pro bono was
to your resume AND to lawyer’s reputations as well. Employers LOVE seeing that you give back and
are active beyond the confines of your job.
It shows them that you are the “jack of all trades” and are more
marketable for them as a company.
Second, it shows that all lawyers are not money hungry. One of my professors stated it best, the
client comes in and sees that the attorney bills $300/hour, and assumes all of
that goes to the attorney. Well, outside
the legal community, this is the opinion of most that attorneys are money
hungry individuals, just out to protect and benefit themselves. Pro Bono debunks that myth by reminding the
general public that it’s NOT just about money.
It’s Fun:
In what environment,
especially as a law student, do you get to meet attorneys from multiple walks
of life that are not your professors, or a wide range of clients, each with a
story to tell? As a law student, you’re
learning how the law works and the origins behind why the law is what it
is. With pro bono, you see how the law
works and how attorneys use it in the every day. It’s a great opportunity to work with others,
meet attorneys, and, it’s pretty fun!
The Capital Law
Community Strives for Excellence, and part of that is through Pro Bono. The Law School boasts many pro bono
opportunities. From three legal clinics,
to VITA, our volunteer income tax service, there is no shortage of Pro Bono
opportunities. For more information,
please visit http://law.capital.edu/GettingInvolvedProBono/
to learn more about how to get involved!
Still don't believe me? Check out this wonderful piece on pro bono!
https://abovethelaw.com/2018/02/the-overlooked-importance-of-firm-pro-bono-work/
Images Courtesy of: http://www.lglegalgroup.eu/pro-bono/
