NY Relaxing Pro Bono Rules For In-House Counsel

Corporate lawyers in New York will be able to perform pro-bono work even if they haven’t been admitted to the state bar when regulations are changed Dec. 4. As long as in-house counsel are admitted to practice elsewhere and are in good standing, they will be allowed to work on behalf of poor or underserved clients. The rule change will add an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 attorneys to the pool of potential pro bono lawyers in the state. New York’s Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman is implementing the rule change after also instituting a rule last year requiring 50 hours of service for young lawyers.