News Post

On this year’s license renewal invoice, we asked our members to estimate their pro bono hours over the past year. Of the 18,106 form submissions so far, 3,548 members reported a total of 167,310 pro bono hours, for an average of 47.16 hours per attorney that responded. We expect that number to grow next year, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly increased the need for pro bono legal services.

Alabama State Bar President Bob Methvin said, “More then 167,000 hours donated is a huge number, but I believe the actual number of hours is substantially higher, as only about 20% of members responded. In any event, the large number of pro bono hours donated really illustrates how much attorneys in Alabama give back to our State.”

In this unprecedented year, lawyers, like everyone, have faced extraordinary challenges. The ways in which we we work and live have changed suddenly. This year, while weathering the economic impact of the pandemic on their own practices, lawyers continued to step up to the challenge to help others. In this week of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for all our members, and lawyers who donate their time to help provide legal services to those who need it most.

To see some shining examples of lawyers giving through pro bono service, click here to watch our 2020 Pro Bono Snapshots video series.