Doing well by doing good: pro bono as a powerful marketing tool.

Wysocka, Jowita L.

The term "pro bono publico" is a Latin phrase meaning "for the public good." In the legal profession, the phrase is often abbreviated to "pro bono" and usually refers to free legal services, although some organizations also apply it to non-legal services. There's little doubt that providing pro bono and other charitable work are optimal ways of fulfilling the overarching goal of the legal profession: helping others. Donating time and experience to help the indigent and disadvantaged allows lawyers to give back to the public as well as build their skills in new practice areas.

A less obvious but equally powerful benefit of pro bono work lies in its marketing potential. Providing volunteer legal work offers a way for lawyers and their firms to build name recognition along with a reputation for involvement in the community. This enhances the firm's credibility and visibility; it also cultivates relationships with clients and future business referrals.

Bar Requirements and Beyond

Most state bar associations encourage lawyers to provide pro bono work or make financial donations to legal aid organizations. The Florida Rules of Professional Conduct, for example, do not mandate pro bono work, but do require members of the bar to report annually "whether the member has satisfied [his or her] professional responsibility to provide pro bono legal services to the poor." The rules recommend that members contribute 20 hours per year in free legal services to those who cannot afford legal representation. Alternatively, the rules recommend that lawyers contribute $350 to a legal aid organization.

The majority of states, however, have a higher aspirational goal, averaging 50 hours per year. Several other states also offer a financial alternative ranging from $250 to $500 annually. Additionally, many large firms have adopted the Pro Bono Institute's challenge to law firms by committing to annually contribute either 5 percent of the firm's total billable hours or 100 hours per attorney to pro bono work, or 3 percent of the firm's total billable hours or 60 hours per attorney to pro bono work.

Legal aid organizations and local bar associations are replete with pro bono opportunities for attorneys in virtually every practice area. There are also a myriad of ways the entire firm (including staff) can become involved in volunteer work on behalf of the firm. The Web site VolunteerMatch.org, for example, lists hundreds of nonprofit organizations seeking non-legal assistance.

Firms may also consider forming their own non-profit organization or adopting a particular organization as a pet project. Woodcock Washburn, for example, initiated an attorney mentor program with an organization called WePAC (the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children). Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, in turn, has adoptedWills for Heroes as its public service project. The firm sponsors and supports the organization's programs in several states.

Assuming a leadership position, such as serving on the board of a legal aid or other non-profit organization, is another excellent way to become actively involved in the community.

The Perks of Pro Bono

How many times have you sent out a press release about the firm's latest client victory, such as a billion-dollar merger or seven-figure jury award, only to have it ignored by the media?

By contrast, how often do you read human interest stories of philanthropic businesses improving the lives of under-privileged children, elders, animals and others in need? Despite the media's reputation for reporting bad news over good, the local/community section of most newspapers and news broadcasts often contain positive, hopeful accounts of altruism on behalf of the less fortunate. A hopeful message is a well-received breath of fresh air, particularly in these troubled times. Additionally, the news is more likely to respond to a firm's efforts on behalf of charitable causes than self-promoting business success.

Engaging in your firm's pro bono and volunteer efforts will set it apart from the rest and help dispel the commonly held negative attitudes about lawyers and the legal profession in general. The resulting media coverage and announcements by the firm will greatly improve the firm's brand recognition and reputation throughout the community. Providing free legal services or other charitable work is also an excellent way to strengthen the firm's credibility and integrity in the eyes of existing clients, as well as referrals. Finally, the firm's improved visibility through its pro bono work helps cultivate new clients, referral sources and prospective recruits.

Pro bono and other volunteer activities are ripe for marketing opportunities, including press releases for media coverage as well as announcements in the firm's newsletter, Web site and blog. Be sure to display articles, posters, plaques, awards and other items commemorating the firm's pro bono and volunteer work. In addition, ask the non-profit(s) that the firm assists to include the firm's name on their Web site and in their marketing materials, if they don't do so already.

One case study for pro bono work involves a St. Petersburg attorney who became an overnight celebrity in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area through his volunteer work. Despite running a busy commercial and real estate practice, Murray

Silverstein devoted 500 hours of non-billable time last year to reuniting two Hurricane Katrina victims with their dogs. The indigent family from Louisiana sought help from a legal aid organization in St. Petersburg after learning their dogs had been adopted by two local residents, one of whom was a well-known state prosecutor. Knowing that Silverstein has a soft spot for dogs, the organization recruited him to take the case. After a formidable year-long legal battle, Silverstein and the hurricane victims prevailed when both adopters agreed to return the pets.

The story was widely publicized in local newspapers and legal publications. Although Silverstein regularly handles multi-million dollar cases, his pro bono victory brought him more media coverage than he had ever enjoyed in his career.

When it comes to pro bono work, sometimes time is better than money. Although non-profit organizations rarely object to financial donations, the value of free legal services provides an equally significant--if not greater--benefit, given the high cost of attorney fees. For example, when a lawyer whose typical hourly rate is $250 spends 14 hours drafting discovery responses, preparing a motion and attending a hearing on behalf of a legal aid client, that lawyer donates the equivalent of $3,500. The legal aid organization would otherwise have to collect donations from 10 people at $350 apiece to pay for those services.

In addition to the personal fulfillment inherent in pro bono and other volunteer work, law firms can benefit greatly from a marketing standpoint. Publicizing and actively promoting their pro bono efforts through online, media and personal channels allows firms to build brand recognition, reputation and relationships with clients and referral sources.

Jowita L.Wysocka is a former civil litigation attorney and now serves as marketing director of The Fleming Law Group, P.A., a criminal defense firm in St. Petersburg, Fla. She is also executive director of Lawyers for Literacy, a non-profit that offers tutoring services for struggling third-grade readers. She can be reached at jwysocka@fleminglawgroup.com or 727/323-4020.