-Marty

Thanks for the comment. You are probably mostly right. Pro bono, even when it is boasted about (softcore pro bono), can have value. Gibson Dunn did good even though their reasons for doing so were more complex than hardcore altruism.

As for rudeness, I see asking a lawyer about his pro bono work in the same category as asking a person how much he dropped in the collection basket at church or whether he gave to charity last year.

I try not to judge people for boasting about pro bono, or for anything else. I don’t feel qualified to judge people. I do, however, feel qualified to judge unpeople like Gibson Dunn. If the firm had bragged about its pro bono (it is, after all, a business) and left it at that, a (small) pat on the back might be merited. But calling a case “pro bono” and then putting considerable effort into getting paid as much as possible for it reeks of dishonesty.

I agree with most of what you write, Marky, but don’t agree with much of this paragraph. I have varied reasons for doing pro bono work, not all of them pure. When I take a case pro bono, usually the main reason is that the wrong so offends my sense of justice that it would be difficult not to take the case.

But while my main motive for doing pro bono is usually to right a wrong, I might have other reasons, too. I’m glad that I’m the kind of person who can get his jollies by helping people, but I’m also a social animal, and I won’t pretend not to enjoy recognition for doing a good thing (that goes for pro bono and paid work). And I damn sure do expect a ‘thank you’ from the person whose case I take. I‚Äôve also conditioned my taking a case pro bono on a client‚Äôs promise to do some kind of public service work in return (commensurate with their abilities).

I also don’t see how asking a lawyer about his/her pro bono work is rude. And I think that being ‚Äúopenly closed-mouth‚Äù about one‚Äôs charity work can also be a form of self-aggrandization. (I‚Äôm not accusing you of this bc I know that‚Äôs not you, but I‚Äôve seen it and I suspect you have, too.) Nor do I think talking about one’s pro bono work necessarily diminishes its value. (You use the pejorative ‚Äúboasting about pro bono,‚Äù but in the context of your post that arguably includes talking about it.) Seems to me that talking about your pro bono work can enhance its value by showing that injustices can be corrected, that not all lawyers are money grubbers, and by increasing the possibility that others will follow your example, among other things. At some point it becomes cheesy, but it doesn‚Äôt bother me to see a lawyer post examples of pro bono work on a website or resume, and I think it‚Äôs wrong to judge someone unfavorably for doing so.