October 15, 2012
In the Media
NY pro bono rule could spur fewer hours than envisioned
By Daniel Wiessnerr and Joseph Ax
Thomson Reuter
October 15, 2012
Excerpt:
New York state's new rule requiring law students to complete 50
hours of pro bono work before being admitted to the bar is unlikely
to deliver 500,000 new hours of legal services for the poor
envisioned by its creators, law school officials across the state
said.
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"Will it increase the number by 500,000? Probably not, though I
think we will see an increase in hours," said Larry Cunningham, an
associate dean at St. John's University School of Law in Queens,
New York. "The real benefit is that it communicates a message to
students early on about the importance of pro bono and of gaining
experience while you're in law school."
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