The amendments to Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1 were approved by the Supreme Court effective September 17, 1998. A lawyer should render public interest legal service.
Lawyers have a professional responsibility to provide pro bono legal services.
The professional responsibility established under this Rule is aspirational rather than mandatory in nature. Each lawyer may report this information through a simplified reporting form that is made a part of the Bar's annual dues statement. This Rule expresses that policy but is not intended to be enforced through the disciplinary process. The rights and responsibilities of individuals and organizations in the United States are increasingly defined in legal terms. The basic responsibility for providing legal services for those unable to pay ultimately rests upon the individual lawyer, and personal involvement in the problems of the disadvantaged can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer.