His response was typical of his (major law firm partner) character. Yes, his and other big firms did pro bono work but…didn’t make it known to the world.

Huh? Then, with the caveat that I couldn’t use it or tell anybody about it, he sent me an expensively produced, even glossy packet from his firm referring to their pro bono section.

I did ask him how the hell people could bring their cases to such a lawyer at a big firm if they had no way of knowing there were such lawyers. His response must have been limp because I do not remember it.

You get this, right? Yes, there are big time lawyers out there working for famous big time law firms who will take on pro bono legal work but no, you can’t find out who they are and how to reach them.

So I read this, um, courageous announcement in the New York Law Journal with a certain degree of dry pleasure. Proskauer Rose, a huge New York City based law firm, has come out of the pro bono closet, creating a position for a full-time partner–not just a couple of new associates or summer interns–but a PARTNER who will handle pro bono work.

The partner even has a real name: William Silverman.

I don’t know what has caused this remarkable burst of altruism and sanity, but hey. Let’s congratulate them. Maybe other big law firms will follow.