It also worked to get legislative approval for a specialty license plate with funds benefiting legal services to the poor. More than 100 local or specialty bars sponsor one or more pro-bono programs. For example the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program estimates that its volunteers provided 15,000 hours of pro-bono legal services to the poor in 1999. The El Paso Bar Association and El Paso District Judges have established a program whereby more than 900 cases were handled in 1999. State Bar sections have identified pro-bono projects that fit the expertise of their members and State Bar committees provide countless hours and materials to helping the less fortunate.
Many law firms have programs which encourage their attorneys to do pro-bono work.
This is only a very brief overview of the initiatives lawyers have developed and supported on behalf of justice for all. We can be proud of these myriad of projects, unfortunately we cannot claim that all legal needs of the poor are being met. There are numerous problems to be overcome but in many cases the discussion of our successes falls on deaf ears. What our detractors want is proof that we are doing pro-bono services. I am opposed to mandatory pro-bono.