Large firm pro bono practice has undergone dramatic changes over the last few decades. This study examines large elite law firms' pro bono practices along two dimensions. First, this study analyzes large firm commitment in terms of hours between 1993 and 2005 for the top 200 firms in the United States. Specifically, the study seeks to understand the organizational and social factors that predict how much time a firm commits to its pro bono practice. Second, this study analyzes the scope of pro bono representation. Through a cross-sectional analysis of the interorganizational relationships between a sample of large firms and their pro bono clients, this study will address the types of causes that are represented and the organizational factors that predict these relationships. Qualitative interviews with large firm managers will supplement the quantitative analyses in order to contextualize contemporary pro bono practices. This study also aims to analyze the role that elite lawyers from large corporate law firms play for social movement causes. Previous scholarship has largely overlooked the contribution of elite lawyers to social movement activity. This study will also contribute to legal scholarship by examining the organizational structure of large firm pro bono practice, which has largely been examined at the individual level. Furthermore, this study aims to contribute to legal scholarship by bringing social scientific approaches to the study of pro bono. This study also has the potential to assist in the actual pro bono practices within large firms. Previous research has argued that large firm pro bono is currently the largest provider of civil legal assistance to the poor and other marginalized groups. This is unlikely to change as federal legal assistance to the poor continues to decline. Thus, a study of the organizational factors that facilitate the growth of large firm pro bono has important implications for the delivery of legal assistance to marginalized individuals as well as ensuring that the weakest members of American society are ensured equal access to justice.
