Attorneys who join www.probono.net represent a wide range of age and legal experience, do pro bono work mainly because they find it personally and professionally rewarding, and are serious about their commitment to public service, with two-thirds currently working on a pro bono case.
Those were among the findings of Pro Bono Net’s first membership survey, which was distributed electronically to members of the New York and national practice areas in November. More than 400 members, from 36 states, took the time to respond. (A graphical summary of the survey results is available in PDF format.)
About half of those who responded work in law firms or corporate legal departments. The largest proportion of the other half work for civil legal aid organizations, with the remainder working in government, law schools or non-profit organizations, or self-employed.
The survey showed that probono.net members span a broad range of age and experience. Among those who responded, 36% said they were in the 25-35 age range, 22% were 35-44, 23% were 45-54 and 18% were over 55. In terms of legal experience, 5% had less than one year of legal practice, 32% had 1-5 years, 18% had 5-10 years and 45% had more than 10 years.
The survey demonstrated members’ dedication to pro bono. Members who identified themselves as private attorneys were asked why they did pro bono work, and more than two-thirds answered “personal satisfaction.” Other popular reasons included wanting to sharpen skills/gain experience and encouragement by their employer.
Among this same group, 68% said they were currently working on a pro bono case, and an additional 10% said they had worked on one within the last 6 months.
The survey also asked members about their experiences with the probono.net tools and resources. 89% of respondents found the content on probono.net sites to be of good or very good quality. The top three content resources members turn to probono.net for include listings of pro bono opportunities, public interest legal news, and library resources.
Respondents also had great ideas for improvement, such as making sure library materials are as complete and current as possible.
Overall, member comments were very encouraging, including, “Very useful site,” “I love the calendar!” and “listserve is invaluable!”
Those taking the survey had the option of entering a drawing to select the recipient of a $50 donation from among Pro Bono Net’s host organizations. The three winners chose to distribute the donations to inMotion, the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and The Legal Aid Society of New York.
The survey results will be very useful as Pro Bono Net continues to evolve and grow. Many thanks to all those who participated. If you'd like to add your voice, please take the survey.
For more information on the survey, or if you’d like to add your comments and suggestions to those we’ve gathered, please contact Pam Weisz at pweisz@probono.net.
