Pro Bono a New Look, Part 3 — Recognition

• Citation: Vol. 36-6
• Year: 2025

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Pro Bono A New Look, Part 3 — Recognition

No. Vol. 36 Issue 6 Pg. 26

South Carolina Lawyer

May, 2025

A New Look, Part 3 -Recognition

BY ZACH OHANESIAN

As the South Carolina Bar's Pro Bono Program continues to evolve, I'm excited to share the third installment in our series highlighting the program's new direction. In this article, I want to focus on a particularly rewarding component of this work: recognizing the attorneys and firms who give so generously of their time and talent to serve those in need.

Every day, lawyers across South Carolina make a difference through pro bono service. Whether providing counsel to a family in crisis, assisting disaster victims, or helping a group of students navigate mock trial hurdles, the selfless work being done by our legal community is inspiring. One of the greatest privileges of my role is learning about these efforts, and I would love to hear more.

When colleagues, my friends, or my family ask how I've enjoyed my new role with the Bar, the question about what I most enjoy often arises. The answer surprises even myself. Each and every day, I am reminded that (1) people care deeply about the wellbeing of others and (2) there are attorneys out there actually doing the work. I know how busy your days are: emails start before you leave the house and keep flowing in after you have gone to bed; your clients demand attention, and you have to triage all the fires that pop up throughout the day; and you have to continue to be a good friend, parent, and partner. Yet, despite all of these pulls on their lives, our volunteers make the conscious decision to act. This is why the Bar wants to acknowledge all that you do.

Recognition is more than just a thank-you — it's a way to spotlight the culture of service that defines our Bar. We are actively working toward the release of this year's Pro Bono Honor Roll through the South Carolina Supreme Court, celebrating the 400-plus attorneys who indicated they provided 50 or more hours of pro bono service to South Carolinians in 2024.

In addition to the Honor Roll, the South Carolina Bar offers incentive programs designed to acknowledge your commitment. Attorneys who complete 25 hours or more of pro bono work through SC Bar programs within a calendar year are eligible for a Certificate of Recognition and can earn up to $100 in CLE credit vouchers.

The Bar also seeks to present Pro Bono Awards to highlight extraordinary service, and I personally invite you to nominate deserving colleagues by contacting me at zack.ohanesian@scbar.org. Lastly, I encourage each of you to log into your Member Dashboard and let us know what type of pro bono work you are passionate about. Matching attorneys with the right opportunities is key to serving our community well, and your input helps us do just that.

Thank you for your continued dedication to the people of South Carolina. Keep making the decision to act.