The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service has announced the release of Supporting Justice: A Report on the Pro Bono Work of America's Lawyers. The report discusses the findings of the Pro Bono Committee's recently completed pro bono data collection study.

The survey found that most lawyers perform some type of pro bono work during a year. Sixty six percent of lawyers provided free legal services to people of limited means or organizations serving the poor, and another 18 percent did pro bono work meeting other aspects of the ABA's definition.

Few respondents, 2 percent, reported pro bono activity not meeting the ABA's definition, and only 14 percent said they had not performed any type of pro bono activity.

The average lawyer in the survey performed about 39 hours per year of free legal service for the poor or organizations serving the poor. Almost half, 46 percent, of lawyers polled met the ABA's aspirational goal of providing at least 50 hours of free legal services in a year.

Read the Press Release [PDF]
Read the Report [PDF]