There are days when being a lawyer is incredibly rewarding. There are also days when it feels like all you do is deal with deadlines, difficult personalities, endless emails, and problems that never seem to get smaller no matter how much work you put into them. After more than twenty years of practicing law, I would love to tell you those days disappear.
They don’t. In fact, every once in a while I still find myself asking the same question I asked as a young lawyer: Why exactly am I doing this? One of the things that has always helped me answer that question is volunteering.
Early in my career, I became involved with both the county and State Bar Young Lawyers Divisions. Like most young lawyers, I initially joined because it seemed like a good opportunity to meet people and become involved in the profession. What I quickly learned, however, was that much of what those organizations did centered around volunteering and pro bono service. Looking back, those opportunities may have been some of the most important experiences of my early career.
Through the Young Lawyers Divisions, I participated in Ask-A-Lawyer events, Wills for Heroes programs, and legal services projects helping people with everything from child support forms to bankruptcy paperwork. I met lawyers from practice areas I knew nothing about and learned skills that had absolutely nothing to do with the cases sitting on my desk.
Law school teaches you how to think. Your job teaches you how to practice. But volunteering teaches you something different.
As a young lawyer, that was incredibly valuable. Law school teaches you how to think. Your job teaches you how to practice. But volunteering teaches you something different. It reminds you why the profession exists in the first place. Those volunteer opportunities reminded me that being a lawyer is not just about arguing motions, taking depositions, or trying cases. At its core, our profession is about helping people navigate difficult situations.
Interestingly, I think volunteering becomes even more important as your career progresses. When I was younger, I viewed it largely as a learning opportunity. Now I view it as both a privilege and a responsibility. My husband has reminded me of this more than once over the years. He often tells me that lawyers have a unique skill set. We know how to analyze problems, navigate systems that can be intimidating, and advocate for people when they need help. Those are skills that most people do not have but many people need.
He’s right. There are very few professions where something that feels routine to us can completely change the trajectory of someone’s situation. Sometimes an hour of your time or a simple conversation can make an enormous difference.
The good news is that giving back does not have to mean taking on a year-long pro bono case. Arizona offers countless opportunities for lawyers to volunteer. There are Ask-A-Lawyer events, Wills for Heroes programs, legal clinics, online question-and-answer programs, and organizations that provide training, mentorship, and malpractice coverage for volunteer attorneys. Whether you have fifty hours to give or five, there is probably an opportunity that fits.
Sometimes an hour of your time or a simple conversation can make an enormous difference.
The State Bar encourages lawyers to provide at least fifty hours of pro bono service each year and even offers some CLE credit, up to five hours for qualifying volunteer work. But if I am being honest, the CLE credit has never been the reason I volunteered.
I volunteer because every single time I do, I walk away remembering something important. I remember why I went to law school. I remember why I chose this profession. And I remember that while litigation is what I do, helping people is why I do it.
For young lawyers especially, I cannot recommend volunteering enough. Yes, you will learn. Yes, you will meet people. Yes, it will help you grow professionally. But more importantly, on the days when this profession feels particularly hard, it may just remind you why you wanted to become a lawyer in the first place.
