In the article, Giving Back: The growth and formalization of pro bono work, Patti Wheatley discusses with author Bev Cline how this type of work is being supported and encouraged within the legal community.

Patti, a member of the Canadian Bar Association (“CBA”) Pro Bono Committee, states that the committee wants to increase the number of lawyers who are willing and able to do pro bono work. “One of our priorities is to encourage law societies and their insurers to extend insurance coverage to a wider spectrum of lawyers, including in-house and government lawyers”, notes Patti. The CBA recommends that lawyers aim to have 50 hours, or approximately three per cent of their billing a year dedicated to pro bono cases.