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Pro bono publico (usually shortened to pro bono) is a phrase
Phrase

In grammar, a phrase is a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a Sentence .For example the house at the end of the street is a phrase....
 derived from Latin meaning "for the public good". The term is generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service
Public services

Public services is a term usually used to mean Service s provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services....
. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms. Pro bono service, unlike traditional volunteerism, uses the specific skills of professionals to provide services to those who are unable to afford them.

"Pro bono publico" is also sometimes used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 to describe the central motivation of large organizations such as the BBC, the National Health Service
National Health Service

The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, collectively or individually, although only the health service in England uses the name 'National Health Service' without further qualification....
, and various NGOs
Non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization is a term that has become widely accepted for referring to a legally constituted, non-business organization created by natural or legal persons with no participation or representation of any government....
 which exist "for the public good," rather than for shareholder profit.

bono legal counsel may assist an individual or group on a legal case by filing government applications or petitions.






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Pro bono publico (usually shortened to pro bono) is a phrase
Phrase

In grammar, a phrase is a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a Sentence .For example the house at the end of the street is a phrase....
 derived from Latin meaning "for the public good". The term is generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service
Public services

Public services is a term usually used to mean Service s provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services....
. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms. Pro bono service, unlike traditional volunteerism, uses the specific skills of professionals to provide services to those who are unable to afford them.

"Pro bono publico" is also sometimes used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 to describe the central motivation of large organizations such as the BBC, the National Health Service
National Health Service

The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, collectively or individually, although only the health service in England uses the name 'National Health Service' without further qualification....
, and various NGOs
Non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization is a term that has become widely accepted for referring to a legally constituted, non-business organization created by natural or legal persons with no participation or representation of any government....
 which exist "for the public good," rather than for shareholder profit.

Pro bono legal counsel

Pro bono legal counsel may assist an individual or group on a legal case by filing government applications or petitions. A judge may occasionally determine that the loser should compensate a winning pro bono counsel.

United States

Lawyers in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 are recommended under American Bar Association
American Bar Association

The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary association bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States....
 (ABA) ethical rules to contribute at least fifty hours of pro bono service per year. Some state bar associations
Bar association

A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both....
, however, may recommend fewer hours. The New York State Bar Association
New York State Bar Association

The New York State Bar Association , with about 72,000 members, is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the United States. The NYSBA was founded in Albany, New York on November 21 1876....
, for example, recommends just twenty hours of pro bono service annually, while the New York City Bar
Association of the Bar of the City of New York

The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, also known as the New York City Bar was established in 1870. The association has over 23,000 members....
 promulgates the same recommendation as the ABA. The ABA has conducted two national surveys of pro bono service one released in August 2005 and the other in February 2009

In an October 2007 press conference reported in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is an English language international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York, New York with Asian and European editions....
 and The New York Times
The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"?named for its staid appearance and style?is regarded as a national newspaper of record....
, the law student group Building a Better Legal Profession
Building a Better Legal Profession

Building a Better Legal Profession is a national grassroots organization founded by students at Stanford Law School in January 2007. The group collects and publicizes employment data at large private law firms as a way of encouraging workplace reform at these companies....
 released its first annual ranking of top law firms by average billable hours, pro bono participation, and demographic diversity. The report found that most large firms fall short of their pro bono targets. The group has sent the information to top law schools around the country, encouraging students to take this data into account when choosing where to work after graduation. As more students choose where to work based on the firms' rankings, firms face an increasing market pressure to increase their commitment to pro bono work in order to attract top recruits.

United Kingdom

Many UK law firms and law schools have celebrated an annual Pro Bono Week, which encourages lawyers to offer pro bono services and increases general awareness of pro bono service, since 2002.

See also

  • List of Latin phrases
    List of Latin phrases

    This page lists direct English language translations of common Latin phrases, such as veni, vidi, vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of List of Greek phrases, as Greek language rhetoric and literature were highly regarded in ancient Rome when Latin rhetoric and literature were still maturing....
  • Law Students in Action Project
    Law Students in Action Project

    The Law Students in Action Project is the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps project of Legal Assistance of Western New York . It is an AmeriCorps program administered by Equal Justice Works....
  • Legal aid
    Legal aid

    Most Liberal democracy consider that it is necessary to provide some level of legal aid to persons otherwise unable to afford legal representation....
  • Volunteer Centres Ireland
    Volunteer Centres Ireland

    Volunteer Centres Ireland is the national body with responsibility for promoting and developing volunteering in Ireland both locally and nationally....


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