Our firm, Magnus, has been approached a few times over the past 20 years and asked to provide pro bono jury consulting on cases for which there was little or no funding.  Pro bono is a term meaning work undertaken for the public good, usually without charge.  Though we had a few cases where someone was trying to get something for nothing, we have said yes to attorneys in those cases where we believed there was a reason to get involved.  And, those reasons vary, but the cases we have chosen to participate in on a pro bono basis were ones that were high profile and which could impact lives in a positive way.  There are several of our services we have offered pro bono.

Pro Bono Jury Consulting for Veterans

In at least one of these, the person involved was a recent military veteran with post-traumatic stress and we wanted to help him on that basis.

High-Profile Criminal Cases

Two of the cases we offered pro bono jury consulting for were for the defense of high-profile criminal cases. And the prosecution of which seemed politically motivated.  So helping in these incidents was intellectually rewarding. We could observe, and were told, how helpful our work was for the trial team.  We know we made a difference in how the cases were resolved. And hopefully, in the long run, in the lives of those involved. In addition, we were pleased to see justice served at some level and feel good knowing we were there to support the legal team responsible for securing the outcomes.

Goodwill

As the business partner for Magnus, I always hope that we generate some goodwill that might lead to future business.  But, that is not the determining factor in accepting a pro bono matter.  That decision is made to help others who are also offering their services pro bono.  Generally, it is our clients because they are trying to do good and help others.  Click here to see references from several clients and attorneys we have worked with.