U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said last week that all lawyers should be required to provide pro bono legal services. “I believe in forced labor” when it comes to improving access to justice for the poor, she said during an appearance at the American Law Institute’s annual meeting in Washington. “If I had my way, I would make pro bono service a requirement.”
Sotomayor made the comment in response to a question from institute director Richard Revesz about the dearth of legal services for low-income individuals. The justice said she was aware of programs — like New York state’s — that make pro bono work a requirement for admission to the bar. She also acknowledged that some critics say lawyers who are compelled to work for free “may not give their best effort” to the task. But professional and ethical duties require it, Sotomayor insisted. “It has to become part of their being,” she said.
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