Tuesday, October 03, 2006 Seares: Working pro bono By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
PRO bono is short for pro bono publico (literally, for the public good) to describe work of lawyers who don’t charge fees.
Pro bono also covers free services of others, from doctors to GROs. Lawyers, though, hog the term because, more than other professionals, they love to talk about pro bono.
Other pros also trumpet their charity but lawyers seem to have stronger claim on the Latin-sourced phrase. Spiced with Latin, lawyer talk sounds more, ah, profound.
Pro bono also comes as quick defense against charges of lawyerly greed.
Paul Oaminal, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) counsel, yesterday said on dyLA he was doing pro bono for the anti-drug agency’s local office.
That, in reply to a complaint that he didn’t sound the alarm about switching containers of seized shabu chemical pseudo-ephedrine. “Not a single centavo,” he said for his PDEA work.
Guilt and angels
Lawyers whom Mayor Tomas Osmeña regularly snipe at for “defending (affluent) criminals” can always cite their help to indigent accused.
One top lawyer readily ticks off pro bono cases, perhaps to lessen pang of guilt about being otherwise filthily enriched.
Aside from sense of duty, enforced by IBP and the courts, pro bono also benefits the lawyer who needs publicity to get fatter clients and maybe a City Council seat.
What is genuine pro bono?
That done with little or no publicity, over which angels in heaven can joyously weep.
