Florida lawyers report nearly 1.7 million hours of pro bono work
lorida Bar members personally reported providing just shy of 1.7 million hours of pro bono work last year and contributed almost $9.5 million to legal aid organizations, according to new figures gleaned from the Bar’s latest dues statements.
The 1.7 million hours of pro bono work amounts to more than $85 million in free services, when calculated according to an estimate of $50 per hour in fees (based on doubling the $25-consultation fee charged by lawyers involved in the Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service).
Nearly 40,000 of Florida’s 98,000 members in good standing provided free legal services to the poor from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and 14,767 lawyers donated cash directly to legal aid providers.
“The generosity of Florida lawyers is one of the great strengths of our Bar,” Florida Bar President Michael Fox Orr said. “Nearly 40,000 lawyers gave their time last fiscal year to help people who might otherwise have been unable to afford legal services, and thousands more contributed financially to legal aid organizations. Their willingness to use their skills and resources to serve those in need is a powerful demonstration of the profession’s commitment to equal access to justice. I’m grateful to every lawyer who answered that call.”
The 2027 pro bono service awards ceremony will be held at the Florida Supreme Court at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, January 21. Presented annually by the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar, the awards honor members of the legal profession whose pro bono work helps ensure access to justice for Floridians in need.
Each year more than two dozen lawyers and judges are honored during the ceremonial session for the free legal assistance they have provided to children, victims of human trafficking, the elderly, the poor, and countless others who might otherwise go without legal help.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on The Florida Channel.
In 1993, the Florida Supreme Court adopted a pro bono plan that encourages attorneys to give at least 20 hours per year in free legal services to the poor or contribute a minimum of $350 to legal aid organizations. Included in the Supreme Court plan was a mandatory requirement that every lawyer report whether he or she did or did not participate.
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