With President Donald Trump now securing deals with nine Big Law firms to provide at least $940 million worth of free legal services, more questions are emerging about the type of “pro bono” work the firms will actually provide. Trump has said he wants the firms to work on trade negotiations or coal leasing, but those matters must pass a conflict check, and it’s not clear what would happen if a firm refuses the work.
Trump’s term of “pro bono,” after all, significantly differs from the definition firms have used to handle legal work for persons of limited means or to help organizations that serve people of limited means.