from the NY Law Journal
Read the new rule on pro bono practice.
Starting Jan. 1, 2015, every applicant to the bar will be required to fulfill the requirement.
“I firmly believe that this will set the pace in the country,” Lippman said in an interview. “On every level it makes sense, for new lawyers, for the profession as a whole, for the legal services providers, for the judges. So I am really upbeat about it.”
Under the rule, 22 NYCRR §520.16, qualifying pro-bono work must be law-related.
“If you build houses for Habitat for Humanity, that doesn’t count,” Lippman said. “But if you do legal work for a non-profit like Habitat for Humanity, that could count.”
Approved pro bono work includes legal services for people of “limited means”; not-for-profit organizations; individuals or groups seeking to promote access to justice; and public service in the judiciary and state and local governments.
The work must be performed under the supervision of an attorney in good standing, a member of a law school faculty or a judge or attorney employed by the courts. Participation in law school clinics for which students receive credit would count.
Professional Responsibility: A Contemporary Approach 