There are few more rewarding professional experiences than achieving a positive outcome for an indigent client in a legal matter.

Kenneth R. Meyer has been handling pro bono cases since 1985.

My pro bono experiences began shortly after I joined Porzio, Bromberg & Newman in 1985. Caught up in the excitement generated by then principal, now Judge, Robert J. Brennan, who was instrumental in forming the Morris County Bar Association’s new Child Advocacy Project, I handled several matters relating to juvenile detention issues, then volunteered to represent a two-year-old girl in a termination of parental rights case.

The case involved complex facts and significant legal issues. On top of that, the client’s foster mother died at the outset of the case, tried over the course of several months. Trial lasted more than 20 days, with some 20 expert witnesses and even more fact witnesses. There was an interlocutory appeal during the trial and the trial judge’s opinion, which adopted my report and recommendation, was affirmed in a reported decision. In Re Guardianship of S.C., 246 N.J. Super. 414 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 126 N.J. 334 (1991). By then, the child was four years old, extremely happy in her foster home, which became her adopted home.

While there was a genuinely sad side to this case, it was extremely rewarding for me, and clearly made a positive and significant difference in the lives of one family. I was left with a feeling of accomplishment, significant trial experience, and a desire to do more work of this nature. None of this would have been possible if Porzio had not been willing to sacrifice more than two months of my client billable time to this pro bono cause.

Leading the Way—Finding New Pro Bono Challenges for the Firm

Shortly after this case ended, I was asked to chair Porzio’s Pro Bono Committee, a responsibility that I handled for almost 15 years. Some years we did better than others. We hit a drought after public defenders were assigned to handle municipal court matters and the representation of children in termination of parental rights cases was deemed not within the province of the private bar. We then became heavily involved in the Morris County Battered Women’s Project, and a number of our attorneys made regular court appearances in this arena. Reinvigorating our troops, we began a relationship with the dedicated professionals at Essex-Newark Legal Services, for whom we handled rent security deposit cases on behalf of low-income families in Essex County. The money recovered for these families made a significant impact on their lives, an impact that I do not believe those of us with law degrees and legal jobs can ever truly appreciate. In 2000, I was privileged to receive the Equal Justice Medal for Porzio’s efforts in successfully recovering security deposits for 50 low-income families in Essex County between 1998 and 2000.

A Call for Commitment

Recruiting new lawyers to join our firm, I’ve interviewed many candidates who have asked questions about, and expressed sincere interest in, the firm’s pro bono commitment. Despite this law school exuberance, however, we often find that our attorneys require strong encouragement before they will take on pro bono cases. There are, no doubt, many reasons for this, including billable hour pressures and time constraints. Yet, it’s critically important for lawyers to maintain a high level of involvement in helping those who need free legal help. Lawyers have a unique ability to shepherd those less fortunate than us through the confusing maze of the legal system. We have an obligation to lend a helping hand to those who need, but cannot afford, a lawyer.

I urge all attorneys to spend a few hours a month doing this vital work. We must make a commitment to handle pro bono work, not only on behalf of our firms, but for ourselves as well. The most rewarding “fee” you can ever receive is the “thank you” from a person in need who has been catapulted into a legal matter and survived the process because of your help.

Kenneth R. Meyer

This article appeared in the Fall 2007 edition of For the Public Good.