Pro Bono Task Force -

Join the Pro Bono Task Force of LAWcares & Teach Young Lawyers the Importance of Giving Back

Lawyers are a force for good in the world, and it’s long past time the public knew that. Help LAWcares build a culture of giving back in law schools by encouraging budding attorneys to engage in pro bono work. Let’s work together to improve the public image of our profession.

Join the Pro Bono Task Force of the LAWcares Foundation

Time to Face Facts: The Public Distrusts Lawyers — and Always Has

Fellow lawyers: We have an image problem. And we always have.

Even Benjamin Franklin, whose work helped frame the pillar of law upon which our system of justice rests, famously said:

“God works wonders now and then; Behold a lawyer, an honest man.“

We’ve all heard the endless litany of lawyer jokes. They’re so old they’re not even funny anymore. But they do tell us that we have a public relations problem. And the polls confirm it.

Of the 25 industries polled by Gallup in 2022, the legal industry ranked 22nd in popularity with only a 26% favorability rating. The federal government, and the oil, gas, and pharmaceuticals industries ranked lower.

The public thinks we’re not really interested in justice or the common good, that we’re only in it for the money. Our image is no better now than it was back in the days of old Ben Franklin.

Attorneys Deserve Better

Abraham Lincoln was really much closer to the truth. As he put it:

As a peacemaker, the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man.

Or, as Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed El Baradei put it:

I’m a lawyer. I go for due process; I go for fairness and equity – these values mean a lot to me.

The law is not perfect, and the struggle for justice never ends, but the alternative to law is anarchy. And without lawyers, the world would have no justice at all.

To bring justice, to bring fairness, to make a better world for the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden: that is our commitment, that is our passion. That is what drives us all to the core of our beings.

And for us to be effective in bringing about the change this world needs, the world needs to know what we’re really all about, who we really are.

The law is not perfect, and the struggle for justice never ends, but the alternative to law is anarchy. And without lawyers, the world would have no justice at all.

And for us to be effective in bringing about the change this world needs, the world needs to know what we’re really all about, who we really are.

LAWcares: Lawyers Giving Back for the World to See

LAWcares encourages all members of the legal profession to engage in charitable giving and pro bono work. Because:

Helping make the world a better place is who we are.
For us to be effective, the world needs to know we’re not just in it for the money.

When you join LAWcares you get to display the LAWcares trust badge that tells the world you give back. This is not only the right thing to do, but studies prove that potential clients prefer to do business with firms that give back.

LAWcares: Lawyers Giving Back for the World to See

LAWcares encourages all members of the legal profession to engage in charitable giving and pro bono work. Because:

Helping make the world a better place is who we are.
For us to be effective, the world needs to know we’re not just in it for the money.

Join the LAWcares Pro Bono Task Force, So We Can Build a Better Future for the Next Generation of Attorneys

LAWcares is building a task force of:

Practicing attorneys who embrace pro bono initiatives.
Law school faculty and administration.

We are legal professionals interested in impressing upon law students the importance of charitable giving and pro bono work.

The success of our work as lawyers depends upon improving our public image, and law students need to know this.

LAWcares needs your participation in the Task Force to help make giving back part of the ethos of the next generation of lawyers – because it is the right thing to do. And because it is necessary for the future success of our profession.

Join the Pro Bono Task Force of the LAWcares Foundation

What Are the Roles of Members of the Pro Bono Task Force?

It really doesn’t take that much time, and membership is FREE. We only ask that you do some or all of the following, whatever you can give.

List your name on the committee.

Encourage your like-minded colleagues to join as well.

Record a brief selfie video – directed at law students – encouraging them to pursue pro bono projects after graduation, why it makes a difference, and the “secrets” of how a lawyer can have a successful career and also carve out the time to give back (we’ll send you a link – it’s very easy).

Participate in panel webinars.

Author a blog post on the subject of pro bono work, if possible.

Offer feedback to the organization.

Serve as a judge on a pro bono award committee, if possible.

Help bring together law students and lawyers on social media to promote pro bono projects.

Future Projects include:

A National Award Program – Recognizing outstanding law student pro bono projects and outstanding law school pro bono programs.

The LAWcares On Campus News Desk – spreading news of outstanding law student-run pro bono projects.

Student membership and pro bono accreditation.

The LAWcares On Campus Mobile App – making law pro bono work that much easier to accomplish.

What Are the Roles of Members of the Pro Bono Task Force?

It really doesn’t take that much time, and membership is FREE. We only ask that you do some or all of the following, whatever you can give.

List your name on the committee.

Encourage your like-minded colleagues to join as well.

Record a brief selfie video – directed at law students – encouraging them to pursue pro bono projects after graduation, why it makes a difference, and the “secrets” of how a lawyer can have a successful career and also carve out the time to give back (we’ll send you a link – it’s very easy).

Participate in panel webinars.

Author a blog post on the subject of pro bono work, if possible.

Offer feedback to the organization.

Serve as a judge on a pro bono award committee, if possible.

Help bring together law students and lawyers on social media to promote pro bono projects.

Future Projects include:

A National Award Program – Recognizing outstanding law student pro bono projects and outstanding law school pro bono programs.

The LAWcares On Campus News Desk – spreading news of outstanding law student-run pro bono projects.

Student membership and pro bono accreditation.

The LAWcares On Campus Mobile App – making law pro bono work that much easier to accomplish.

Show the Importance of Giving Back by Your Example

The best way you can give back is to spend a little time showing the next generation of lawyers the importance of giving back. As Attorney General Janet Reno said:

Being a lawyer is not merely a vocation. It is a public trust, and each of us has an obligation to give back to our Task Force.

Learn More About the LAWcares Foundation

LAWcares Foundation Brochure

LAWcares On Campus Brochure

Whitepaper

Amicus Brief 7

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The LAWcares Foundation / 82 Nassau Street / Ste. 60326 / New York, NY 10038 /
We are an IRS-recognized 501-C-3 charitable organization (EIN 85-0900686).