Palmetto Pro Bono
| Publication year | 2020 |
| Pages | 19 |
PALMETTO PRO BONO
Privilege, Profession and Public Service of Lawyers
By Jennifer Peck Woodruff and Brett Lamb Stevens
“..I will assist the defenseless and oppressed by ensuring that justice is available to all citizens..” ~ South Carolina Lawyer’s Oath
When we entered law school, most of us wanted to use our law degree in some way to further justice in our communities, help others and promote social good. After graduation, and as our careers began to evolve, we held on to those values, but our time became more limited and the demands of being a lawyer settled in.
Being a lawyer is hard work and often stretches us so thin that finding time for public service is something easily put off in the face of the numerous other obligations. But now, more than ever, our communities need lawyers to provide legal representation to those who cannot afford it, and to rise to the commitment of offering equal representation to all.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Carolinians who never expected to have to ask for help found themselves in the position where they need legal assistance but can only afford to pay a fraction of the cost or cannot pay for legal services at all. Before the pandemic, the Palmetto State was home to the nation’s highest rates of eviction filings, and those numbers are anticipated to increase. The South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program, SC Legal Services and community partners have established a COVID-19 hotline and helped hundreds of South Carolinians in need, but calls continue.
During Celebrate Pro Bono Week, October 26-30, 2020, we recognized and applauded the countless hours of pro bono work performed by lawyers each year.
In this month and throughout the year, we also encourage our fellow South Carolina lawyers to recognize the privilege and honor of being a lawyer and the professional obligation we all have to engage in public service.
Every lawyer remembers the first year of law school. There were the academic demands, an overwhelming abundance of new information, legal vocabulary, countless hours spent learning how to apply the law and learning how to balance all those challenges with everyday life. Even after law school, the learning never stops because as practitioners of the law, it is our professional obligation to navigate legal principles in the judicial system.
Now, imagine someone with much less education...
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