Free legal help on the
rise
Lawyers clock in more hours while some law
firms open dedicated pro bono departments
Jeremy Lim
LAWYERS here are giving up more of their time to provide free
legal help to the needy.
The Law Society said that each lawyer reported an average of 14
hours of voluntary work last year. This is four hours more than the
previous year's figure, the society told The Sunday Times.
This is a small victory for the profession, which has in
recent years turned the spotlight on pro bono work, or service for
the public good - though it is still far from its pledged target of
25 hours a year.
The recent push for pro bono work has come from the top
guns in the legal system - the Chief Justice, Attorney-General and
the Law Society president - and some law firms have responded by
institutionalising their pro bono efforts.
This year, at least two firms - Drew & Napier, and
WongPartnership - have opened dedicated pro bono departments. Harry
Elias, another top firm, declared that its lawyers would each
contribute at least 25 hours each year.
Last year, volunteer lawyers from the Criminal Legal Aid
Scheme (Clas) and the Association of Criminal Lawyers (ACLS)
defended more than 350 people who were accused of crimes but could
not afford lawyers. Both Clas and ACLS are non-government groups
that provide free legal advice to the needy.
Lawyers said it is sometimes difficult to take on pro
bono work because of the long hours it can require. Simple cases
can take 12 hours, and complex one might take 70 hours, said the
Law Society's director of pro bono services Lim Tanguy.
Case in point: Ismil Kadar, 44, who was charged with drug
offences last week, escaped death row last year after being cleared
of a murder he did not commit.
His lawyer, Mr R. Thrumurgan, fought his case pm bono for
six years to prove his innocence.
Criminal lawyer Josephus Tan, 33, who clocked more than
700 pro bono hours last year, said: "What appears to be very
straightforward can take a sudden twist and become very
protracted."
Mr Tan, who earns about $7,000 a month, said he tries to
spend a third of his working hours serving the less fortunate.
Commercial lawyer Cyril Chua, 41, who does more than 200
hours of volunteer work a year, said it is important for firms to
encourage pro bono work. He said lawyers sometimes feel
pressured not to take up pro bono cases, which do not bring in
revenue for the firm.
Said Mr Chua: "If they take on a big pro bono project,
their partners may not be happy. This is mostly in big firms, where
they have a more structured way of evaluating the profitability of
a lawyer."
Mr Chua runs Project Law Help, an initiative of the Law
Society that match-makes law firms with charities that need legal
advice. For example, The Spastic Children's Association of
Singapore is supported by law firm Lau & Gur.
The rise in pro bono hours appears to be led by a new
generation of lawyers who value personal fulfilment beyond pay and
prestige, some lawyers said.
Clas chairman Gopinath Pillai said that a rising number of
new volunteers are fresh faces passionate about helping the
needy.
Lawyer Nadia Yeo, 25, takes on such cases because she
wants to represent the underdog, she said.
"Clas helps to fili the gap, to ensure that even though
they are not well off, they are no less well-represented in court,"
Ms Yeo said.
Last year, the lawyer from Rodyk & Davidson defended
a girl in her late teens arrested for shoplifting with some
friends. It was her second offence, and the court could have
given her a fine or a few months' jail. Because of Ms Yeo's work,
the teenager was put on probation, instead of being convicted.
Ms Yeo said she was heartened to learn later that her
former client was scoring As at school and doing well.
"As defence counsel, we are in a position where we can
advise these accused persons to change for the better," she
said.
Juvenile and family lawyer June Lim, 25, said her main
aim in being a lawyer is to use her skills to help the
underprivileged.
The lawyer at Tan]inHwee LLC works with aid organisations
like the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics to defend
those who need urgent help.
One case the lawyer took on in 2010 involved a Vietnamese
woman in her 20s who was brought in by a bridal agency.
The woman married a Singaporean, but four years later, he
was retrenched. He kicked her out of the house and threatened
to kill her if she came back.
On the day of the trial, the man finally agreed to
compensate her with $7,000.
Without a lawyer, the woman could have been forced to
return to Vietnam empty-handed as she was on a two-week social
visit pass, said Ms Lim. She added: "There is this gap in our legal
aid services, and it's up to the pure goodwill of lawyers to fill
it."
ABOUT PRO BONO
FREE legal aid has a 2,000-year history, going by its Latin term
pro bono publico, meaning "for the public good".
It can be traced to Roman times and has been present in
Britain since 1275, said Singapore Management University law
professor Rathna Nathan.
"It was an ethical obligation or social responsibility,"
she said. "In ancient time, people became lawyers and doctors to
serve society, not to make money."
In Singapore today, pro bono work includes free or
discounted legal help for the needy, or for charitable
organisations.
But pro bono work differ from ordinary volunteering
because professianal skills are needed.
Only certified lawyers can serve under the Criminal Legal
Aid Scheme, for example.
Within the legal profession, there are different
specialisations.
Some corporate lawyers may feel uncomfortable doing
criminal work, and prefer to volunteer with charities, such as the
Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped.
Lawyers who normally handle cases for properties and
divorces may prefer to volunteer in those areas.
Jeremy Lim
home, The Sunday Times, Pg 16
