从成功中学习

每家公司都有自己的“文化”——一种特殊的经营方式, 培训的澳博app, 并为客户提供法律服务. 那些将无偿法律服务纳入这种文化的公司, 不足为奇的是, 那些拥有最成功公益项目的律所. 几家律所向我们描述了它们在无偿法律服务方面的长期强势参与. These firms explained that talented lawyers who are interested in maintaining a pro bono practice are drawn to them. 正如一位澳博app所指出的:“我们的律所有着为公众服务的历史文化, 所以志同道合的澳博app都想来这里工作.”

没有从长期参与公益法律事务中受益的公司可以采取措施改变他们的公益文化. 几家律所与我们分享了他们为加强公益项目而采取的措施，以使公益工作成为澳博app职业生涯的核心部分. 他们强调，没有一种公益项目模式适用于所有律所. 公司治理结构等因素, 澳博app薪酬结构, and substantive areas of practice must all be considered in designing or expanding a pro bono program. 本文概述了成功项目的一些核心特征. 提供稳定的, long-term, 以及对无偿服务的明显承诺, 它可以成为任何公司文化不可或缺的一部分.

All the law firms we spoke with have an infrastructure to develop, assign, and manage pro bono work. 我们采访的公司规模从25名澳博app到250多名澳博app不等. 一些是单办公室公司，另一些是D.C. offices of national firms; several were headquarters offices. 每家律所的公益项目都以不同的方式设立，但都有共同的核心方面.

• 为公益项目建立明确的问责制.
  
  澳博app执行他们的任务——这是法律职业道德的一部分. 结果是, 当有人被任命管理公司的公益项目时，这并不奇怪, 这个项目蓬勃发展. 所有的“40 + 50”律所都有专人负责他们的公益项目. 在某些情况下, it is a duty collateral to a lawyer’s other work; other firms have one or two people whose only assignment is the day-to-day management of the firm’s pro bono program. 即使公益项目管理只是澳博app工作的一部分, we learned that firm leadership understands—and expects—that administration of the pro bono program will consume at least 25 percent, 有时甚至更多, 那个澳博app的时间. 此外，律所还有一个公益委员会，通常由合伙人和澳博app组成. 公益委员会的作用随着公司的特殊需求而变化. A firm with offices in many cities may have a pro bono committee in each office focused on local concerns, 或者它可能有一个全国性的公益委员会来处理更广泛的问题, 全公司的政策问题. Similarly, 只有一个办事处的律所可以使用公益委员会来筛选可能的公益事务, 或者担任决策角色.

• 在公益基础设施中加入资深澳博app.
  
  The size of a firm may drive the kind of infrastructure that is in place: one of the smaller firms we spoke with uses its management committee to address pro bono issues; another firm of the same size has a pro bono committee and a partner assigned to coordinate pro bono work. The common thread is the involvement of both mid-level and senior-level attorneys in committees that address pro bono issues. 这确保了一个一致的信息，即无偿服务对公司和个人澳博app的整个职业生涯的重要性.

• 雇个优秀的人来管理你的公益项目.
  
  公司越来越多地雇佣员工，通常是澳博app，来协调公益事务. 这取决于所涉及公司的规模, 这些职位要么是全职要么是兼职的关键, 正如一家公司所描述的那样, 是“雇佣一个有组织能力的人?, 热情的, 有效的管理者, 案件主管, 和啦啦队长.” The best firms make sure that their pro bono counsel is visibly supported by a strong committee, 高级管理人员, or both. 他们还确保无偿澳博app不只是专注于做无偿工作, 而是让尽可能多的澳博app参与无偿服务. 公益澳博app与地区法律服务提供商建立关系, 为新上任的澳博app提供培训, 帮助律所澳博app找到他们感兴趣的公益事务. 除了, some pro bono counsel supervise and train firm lawyers in the skills needed to handle particular pro bono cases, 同时也有自己的公益案件. Some of these pro bono counsel moved from a regular attorney position in the firm into the pro bono job; others were hired from the legal services community. 一家律所指出，直到律所专门为公益项目安排了一个澳博app职位, 律所的公益服务参与有限, 尽管有书面政策鼓励并设定了无偿服务的目标.

A written policy that makes it clear pro bono legal work by lawyers is both supported and expected is, 正如一家公司所说, "这是律所无偿服务的基石.“再说一次，这在很大程度上是由公司文化驱动的. 书面政策较少的公司在无偿服务方面的书面政策也较少, 而那些有更多书面政策的州往往有更多关于无偿服务的政策. 我们从采访的公司那里听到的信息在核心上也相当简单:如果一家公司有书面政策，规定其澳博app应该从事的工作水平和类型, 对公益工作应当作出具体规定. 我们谈到的不同公司的一些政策包括:

• 无论有没有“上限”，都允许将无偿服务时间计入最低收费标准.”
• 允许无偿服务时间计入奖金.
• 包括在澳博app评估中对公益案件的表现.
• 设定澳博app每年最少的无偿服务时间.
• 包括每月无偿服务时间和其他定期报告的澳博app工作时间.
• 在澳博app年度评估中评估是否遵守无偿服务的最低要求.

Overall, the goal of firms’ policies on pro bono is to send an unambiguous message that pro bono work matters to decision-makers at the firm, 它被视为与付费客户的工作一样, 做好无偿服务工作对澳博app在律所的职业生涯很重要.

Successful pro bono programs are tailored to the needs and interests of the lawyers in the particular firm. 至少三种不同的, 但互补, 实现这一目标的方法从我们与公司的对话中浮现出来.

• 发展与法律服务提供商的关系.
  有几家律所与地区法律服务提供商建立了关系, 他们的大部分无偿服务案件都来自这些服务提供者. This allows the firms to build up in-house expertise on the kinds of cases typically handled by the legal services provider, 更容易立案，更容易找到合作伙伴进行监督. 法律服务提供者, in turn, often reach out to these firms first when there is a large or particularly attractive case needing pro bono counsel.

• 识别并满足澳博app事务所的业务需求.
  Firms with full-time pro bono counsel indicated that they seek to identify needs and interests among lawyers within the firm, 然后找到满足这些需求的无偿服务机会. 有几家律所强烈地感觉到，他们能够让许多不同的澳博app参与公益工作的关键原因是，他们的公益事务吸引了许多不同类型的澳博app. 例如, several firms reported that their associates both needed and wanted hands-on courtroom experience. They responded by identifying pro bono opportunities that would reliably provide this kind of experience. Similarly, 一家澳博app事务所报告说，它已经开发了一系列非诉讼公益机会，以便为对诉讼没有兴趣或经验的澳博app提供从事公益工作的机会. Examples of such opportunities include nonprofit incorporation and community development matters. One pro bono counsel has had success in recruiting lawyers with a transactional/mergers and acquisition focus to handle adoptions. 他解释说，一旦他把涉及收养的法律工作重新定义为“将资产(孩子)从一个实体(寄养服务机构)转移到另一个实体(养父母)”，这似乎就更熟悉了, 更有吸引力, 致交易澳博app. 关键似乎在于寻找公益机会的灵活性和创造性，并将它们与现有的兴趣和需求相匹配.

• 使用技术来帮助放置案例.
  管理公益项目最耗时的部分之一可能是了解澳博app的兴趣，然后将可用的澳博app与可用的机会相匹配. 一些公司依靠内部网系统来帮助完成这一过程, 在公益页面上发布机会，该页面直接链接到澳博app登录电脑时首先出现的屏幕. 另一家公司拥有一个澳博app利益数据库, so the pro bono coordinator can easily contact a small group of interested lawyers when specific pro bono matters arise. 与我们交谈的大多数公司都使用电子邮件来沟通可用的机会.

与我们交谈过的所有律所都采取了重大措施，以保持无偿服务的可见性, 这是澳博app在律所生活中有意义的一部分. 我们了解到，有一些共同的步骤可以成功地向律所的澳博app传达这样的信息:无偿法律工作是律所业务的一部分.

• 合伙人明显且深入地参与了无偿服务.
  拥有最成功的公益项目的律所报告说，他们的合伙人——从最资深的到最年轻的——都积极地、明显地参与公益事务. Nothing sends a stronger message about the viability of a firm’s pro bono program than having its partners handling, 监督, 说到无偿法律工作.

• 无偿服务是新澳博app和横向雇员的一部分.
  There was broad consensus that when new lawyers’ introduction to the firm includes discussion of the firm’s pro bono program, 明确公益服务的期望, 和能帮他们拿到无偿案件的人直接联系, 它极大地增加了无偿服务的参与率. 因此，一些公司将无偿服务作为更广泛的培训会议的一部分. Other firms have the pro bono counsel meet individually with new associates and lateral hires shortly after they start at the firm.

• 无偿服务是律所定期会议的议程之一.
  A number of the firms we spoke with indicated that whenever there are regular firm-wide meetings, 无偿援助计划已经提上日程了. 将公益服务作为律所业务的一个组成部分, 而不是一个辅助或课外活动, was seen as an important step in making pro bono a meaningful part of lawyers’ careers at the firm.

• 公益案件包括在公司业绩报告中.
  A number of the firms we spoke with had newsletters that highlight aspects of the firm’s pro bono programs. 有些公司以硬拷贝的形式分发这些材料, and find them to be attractive for marketing to clients and presenting the firm to potential recruits; others use a firm-specific intranet, 或者网站来宣传自己的成就. Firms tended to use the same kind of platform used by the firm to advertise or publicize its other work.

Several of the firms we spoke with took additional steps to ensure that lawyers were aware of the firm’s pro bono program. 一家律所在对澳博app的评估中加入了一项内容，说明该澳博app是否达到了律所政策中规定的无偿法律工作的最低小时数. 没有达到这一目标的澳博app被要求与事务所的公益澳博app会面，制定一个计划，在来年达到这一目标. 另一家律所为新入职澳博app举办了无偿服务的年度培训——当年未达到无偿服务目标的澳博app也必须参加培训. Another firm expects its new lawyers to take on at least one case beginning six months after arriving at the firm.

Performing pro bono legal work is good for the community—and some would say it is good for the soul. 我们了解到，这对商业也很有好处.

• 无偿服务有利于客户关系.
  几家律所告诉我们，公司客户对律所的公益服务印象深刻. 当高质量的澳博app事务所之间存在业务竞争时, 拥有一个活跃的公益项目可以使天平向有利于公司的方向倾斜. 一家公司报告说，当一个大的, nationwide corporation learned that the firm was working with the same national nonprofit as the corporation, 公司开始把更多的工作交给公司.

• 一个强大的公益项目是一个强有力的招聘工具.
  A number of top-flight firms told us that their pro bono program makes them very attractive to new lawyers, 包括那些有声望的职员. 澳博app事务所对此做出了解释, 有才华的新澳博app对研究前沿法律问题非常感兴趣, or in having the chance to work directly with clients and appear in court early in their careers.

• 多样化的公益项目是培训和技能培养的沃土.
  我们采访的公司规模从25名澳博app到超过250名澳博app不等. All of them echoed that pro bono cases can help develop critical lawyering skills in newer attorneys. Several reported that their partners were actively involved in pro bono legal work in part to maintain their courtroom skills, as the larger civil matters they handled for paying clients brought them into court with far less frequency.

Firms that are interested in learning more are encouraged to access the many resources available in the Washington, D.C. 法律社会. 一个好的起点可能只是一家拥有健康公益项目的澳博app事务所. 地区澳博app事务所的公益合伙人和公益澳博app或协调员通常是获得项目和实质性信息的最佳资源, 并且非常愿意帮助和向他人学习.

寻求帮助来加强你的公益项目.

D.C. 酒吧部分程序在定期会议上加入100多家有组织的公益项目的澳博app事务所, 参与者从中了解到新兴的和关键的公益需求, 同时就加强他们自己的公益项目交换意见. PART项目很快将有一个关于probono的实践区.Net/dc允许会员分享公司的政策、惯例和其他信息. Contact: D.C. 酒吧公益中心，202-737-4700，分机. 293, or (电子邮件保护).

D.C. Bar Pro Bono Initiative: Participating firms annually report pro bono performance to the DC Bar on a confidential basis, and receive information in return that allows them to assess their pro bono performance with comparable firms in D.C. 联系:华盛顿澳博app协会公益项目，202-737-4700，分机. 293 or (电子邮件保护).

乔治城大学法律中心的公益研究所:PBI的澳博app事务所公益项目为至少有50名澳博app的澳博app事务所提供信息, materials, 以及为公益项目提供咨询服务. 欲知更多资料，请浏览: probonoinst.org.

找到适合你公司的公益案件.

Probono.net/dc这个网站包括一个培训资料库, 模型诉状和其他材料, 发布志愿者机会, 以及本区法律服务机构的说明. 目前的实质性领域是:庇护, 就业, 公民权利, 家庭法, 社区发展, Housing, 死刑, 与公共利益.

DCbar.org/pro-bono: The D.C. Bar公益中心提供了一个目录, 可按主题区域搜索, 提供无偿服务的地区法律服务提供商. 或者联系D的工作人员.C. 酒吧公益中心电话:202-737-4700，分机293，或 (电子邮件保护) 寻求建议和协助，寻找公益项目和合作伙伴组织.