Determined to tackle the "justice gap" that leaves so many people without access to legal services, New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman last year devised a novel solution. He proposed that all law students who want to be admitted to the bar in New York perform 50 hours of pro bono service in law school. That rule was adopted by the other judges on New York's highest court.
The justice gap is "a crisis in this country that needs to be addressed," says Lippman, adding that the private bar's volunteer efforts are essential. With the New York State Bar Association signaling its opposition to mandatory pro bono for lawyers, Lippman turned his sights on the next generation in law school. "I want to get into their DNA the idea that if you want to be a lawyer, you have to embrace the core values of the profession," he says. "More than anything else, that means services to others."
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