Also called: Pro Bono Partner, Director of Pro Bono Programs
A big-firm lawyer whose full-time job is running the free legal work the firm does for people and charities who cannot pay.
Pro bono counsel match firm lawyers with cases like asylum claims, eviction defense, or veterans' benefits, then supervise and train them. They meet legal aid groups to find new projects and track hours the firm donates. Some weeks they're in court themselves on a big civil rights case.
Large-firm pay; partner-level pro bono heads earn the most. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 12 years after high school. Bachelor's degree, three years of law school (J.D.), and a state bar license, plus years of practice at a large firm or public interest group.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, Public Policy, Sociology, English.
Growing about average. Most of the 200 largest US firms now have a dedicated pro bono leader (approx.).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI drafts routine filings for volunteer lawyers; picking cases, mentoring and managing partners stays human.
Classes: Debate, Government, Spanish.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.