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How do lawyers determine pro bono work other than publicity reasons?

Is it also true that lawyers must do some level of pro bono work annually to be bar certified? Is this work primarily discretionary or is there a formula involved in pro bono work other than publicity? Is pro bono work generally speaking done for financial gain or good intentions? Answer 3 Dan: "Publicity has nothing to do with it" Laff***

Public Comments

1. No state that I know of mandates pro bono work. Every state does ask their attorneys to perform a certain number of pro bono hours, but they don't have the ability to enforce that. Past that, if you're an attorney in private practice, its pretty much up to your discretion what cases you want to take on a pro bono basis. Personally, I generally take ones that will not require a huge amount of time and where I feel I can actually do some good. Typically, this means cases for troops returning from overseas that are having issues or people that are getting bullied by creditors. As for how other people decide, that's up to them.
2. In my State pro-bono work is encouraged, but not required. Yes, a few heavy hitters do it mostly for publicity, but every lawyer I know does a substantial amount of pro-bono work just to help people out. One of the things that comes with the territory when you become a lawyer is that you're constantly asked for legal advice or to help someone who can't afford to pay. And it's only human to want to help someone truly deserving. Those cases can be among the most personally satisfying things you take on but they don't pay anything, of course. But realize, too, that lawyers are usually asked to do much more pro-bono work than they can reasonably take on.
3. No. None of what you wrote is true. You do not know what you are talking about. Publicity has nothing to do withit.