There is something about the legal and medical establishments, which shows an uncompromised love to Latin. Majority of judges and doctors will tell you that it is all about tradition. Hmmm, maybe? Or simply, the Latin words sound just "impressively professional". Lawyers Pro Bono (or probono lawyers) are actually a reverse idea from the impressive advertising. These are professionals who provide free-of-charge (or at a highly reduced rate) services to the public. The word "pro bono" means "for good". The meaning actually implies for "the public good".
In the world where legal proceedings can destroy your life, the lawyers pro bono are essential.
Cases, which are similar to the fight between the "Goliath and David" are constantly on the increase.
Most individuals can be easily intimidated to launch legal cases against the army of lawyers from big corporations.
Even class actions are seldom initiated because of the cost of legal proceedings.
Surprisingly, the actual courtroom cost is not that excruciating.
However, the private fees of legal companies can ruin ones life.
The probono lawyers are there to represent cases, which otherwise could not be initiated.
There are state, national and non-governmental institutions which decide who gets the lawyers pro bono.
The National Pro Bono Resource Center is a very good resource (in Australia) for probono lawyers and organisations which offer their services.
You have to apply to have the lawyers pro bono representing your case. There are strict rules, where both you and the case must satisfy the criteria. The economic hardship alone is not sufficient to hire probono lawyers. The legal case must also show the importance of the matter. At the end, no lawyer working for free (or for a reduced fee) will want to deal with trivial matters.
Ok, lawyers pro bono are great for the public but where is the benefit for the providers? A lot of professionals (or graduates to become professionals) think in terms of money rather than experience. The probono layers are a great way to obtain that crucial experience in the legal system. It is ok, to be good at theory but the practical exposure is the real investment of the probono service. In fact, in USA all lawyers are required to provide the pro bono service. In some American states these professionals must spend 50 hours a year to serve the public at a reduced (or free of charge) rates.