Standard 2(M) Pro Bono Publico and access to justice

1. A judge may promote broader access to justice by encouraging lawyers to participate in pro bono publico legal services, if in doing so the judge does not employ coercion or abuse the prestige of judicial office. Such encouragement may take many forms, including providing a list of available programs, training lawyers to do pro bono publico service, and participating in events recognizing lawyers who have done pro bono publico work, including nominating lawyers for such recognition. A judge may assist an organization in the recruitment of lawyers or law firms to provide these services so long as the recruitment effort cannot reasonably be perceived as coercive. This includes a judge requesting an attorney to accept pro bono representation of a party in a proceeding pending before the judge.

2. A judge may participate in programs concerning the law which promote the provision of pro bono legal services, may serve on the governing boards of organizations which promote the provision of pro bono legal services, and may provide leadership in convening, participating, or assisting in advisory committees and community collaborations devoted to the provision of legal services to the indigent or those with low income. A judge may also support projects and programs directly related to the provision of services to indigent and low-income individuals coming before the courts and may comment upon the need for funding of such projects and programs.