ABA Overview of Bar Pre-Admission Pro Bono Requirements
Jul 20, 2022
In 2012, New York became the first jurisdiction in the United States to require pro bono service as a condition for bar applicants to become licensed to practice law. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman in his announcement of the unprecedented initiative indicated that it is aimed at providing additional legal resources to expand access to justice for low-income New Yorkers. Since then, a number of other jurisdictions have taken the matter under consideration, although none have yet enacted a comparable requirement.
The American Bar Association has created a chart tracking where initiatives stand in jurisdictions that are considering initiating a preadmission pro bono requirement.