The call was made by Telstra legal counsel John Cross, who told Lawyers Weekly that lawyers often spent much of their time understanding legislation and case law relevant to a specific pro bono matter without having enough time to follow it through.

More hours

‘We’re looking at talking to [Telstra] management about a different model of engagement with pro bono: either to get more lawyer days approved or the same number of days and have them allocated in a different way,’ Mr Cross said.
Mr Cross – who coordinates Telstra lawyers to work at the Salvos Legal In-house Pro Bono Desk – claimed that the voluntary programme draws plenty of interest from lawyers who would be keen to put in more hours.