Throwback Thursday – A CHARGE TO KEEP by Melissa Carrasco
In the June 2017 edition of the Knoxville Bar Association’s DICTA Publication, Melissa Carrasco explains the history of pro bono representation. From historical Greek synegoros to Roman cognitores “there were plenty of attorneys who gave their time and professional skills to representing people and causes without compensation.” In 1963, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law created four goals to address the issue that “the organized bar had not taken a position on issues such as discrimination, segregation, and the importance of the rule of law.” With these goals in mind attorneys across the U.S. began working and organizing. “Six years later, the ABA adopted the Model Code of Professional Responsibility.” Since then, the ABA has adopted the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. In conclusion, Melissa makes the important distinction that the obligation to provide “free or low-cost legal services” does not fall on just anyone. It “has always rested squarely on the shoulders of the synegoros, solicitors, barristers, attorneys, lawyers.”