There are a variety of methods that can be used to assist a pro bono lawyer and the court. First, judges must recognize that almost every pro bono case is otherwise a pro se litigant if counsel were not available and willing to help that litigant through the process. Pro bono lawyers help organize and present their cases-often reducing the time a court would otherwise spend dealing with pro se litigants. Assistance and support of pro bono activities must comply with judicial conduct constraints, but most jurisdictions allow judicial activism in this area, so long as fairness and impartiality are strictly maintained. These efforts conserve volunteers' time, minimize inconvenience to them and provide recognition for their efforts.
Judges use a variety of accommodation strategies.
Judges also are relying on the court system to encourage pro bono, by offering courthouse space for pro bono clinics, including notices on formal court forms about how indigent parties may obtain legal assistance and making volunteer attorneys available to provide information to pro se litigants. Conclusion Access to justice should be a fundamental concern of every judge in the country. There are many ways judges can make a significant contribution to this effort. We each need to find additional approaches to increase pro bono work in the wake of the great loss of funding for legal services. Consistent with judicial conduct constraints, we can make direct contributions to pro bono programs.