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Should lawyers be required to provide pro bono services?

Results so far:

Yes
63% 508 votes Total: 803 votes
No
37% 295 votes

It would be nice if lawyers would decide on their own to take worthy cases on a pro bono basis. Their regular hourly fees are so ridiculously high, that some charity work is in order to keep them mindful of their humanity and remember that if not for clients who pay, charity work is not possible. Some of the better lawyers charge 200 to nearly 400 dollars an hour. What is that about? Every lawyer has to attend four years of college, and then 3 years of law school before they can hang out their shingle providing that they pass their state bar exam first. Granted, higher education costs a fortune, but would it really be so hard for well trained lawyers to take on cases that may not pay as much, to right a wrong. Public defenders are overworked and severely underpaid against a well oiled machine and the unlimited budget of the prosecutor's office. With the public defenders in mind, how can real justice be served, police and prosecutors are only interested in finding someone responsible for every crime that happens within their area. Innocence is not their forte,nor are they much interested in finding the truth. Their truth is the only truth that matters. Public defenders are paid by the same system as the prosecutor and only receives so much money to defend each case, and experts testimony is expensive. This is why every attorney should take at least one case or two every year that is compelling enough to make them want to help someone that is in need of expert legal assistance for free or at a lower than their usual rate. Not only could real justice be served, but a religious requirement would be fulfilled as well. Every major religion asks that charity be done or some kind of giving back for the blessings received. Some ask for a percentage of earnings, some ask that good deeds be performed as a form of charity. Still others have some combination of both in exchange for the promise of further blessings. Education itself is a blessing, there is sacrifice required to acquire knowledge, but once attained, it can never be taken away. Education leads to higher paying jobs. Higher pay leads to greater responsibilities to one's fellow human beings by helping others in need. Whether it takes the form of donating food, clothing that is still in good condition but no longer fits, or making a donation of money to a church, synagogue or mosque to be distributed as they see fit among the poor of the congregation or for acquiring study materials for new converts or religious goods.

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