Spotlight on Pro Bono: More Intelligent, Less Artificial: Using AI To Make Pro Bono More Human-Centered

By Andrew Sharp, Esq.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been greeted with a mixture of hope and apprehension by the legal profession. While some are finding ways to use it promisingly, and tech vendors assure us their products will revolutionize our practices, the headlines of attorneys and even judges getting caught using it irresponsibly loom large in our collective conscience as attorneys. One is left with a cognitive dissonance and overall sense of anxiety of what this startling new technology will mean for the practice of law, and whether one should even try to start learning how to use it, let alone use it in a pro bono setting.

And yet, as members of the Illinois State Bar Association, our commitment to the public good compels us to examine not only the impact of technology on our work, but also its potential to amplify our ability to serve clients, especially those most in need that can’t afford to hire an attorney. I believe AI, used properly, has the power to bring on a revolution in the delivery of legal services and the legal profession as a whole, and to help us as lawyers have more enjoyable, fulfilling lives where we are able to do more pro bono with less stress.

Redefining the Attorney's Role: Humans, Not Machines

Legal work is demanding, intellectually rigorous, and time-intensive. For many attorneys, the daily grind is filled with hours of research, drafting, document

review, and administrative tasks. The pressure to maintain billable hours while serving clients’ complex needs can leave little time for reflection, empathy, or self care, let alone pro bono service.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others have only been on the market a few years, and yet they have shown they can drastically reduce the amount of time spent on many of the most common tasks lawyers are faced with on a daily basis. To name just a few ways GenAI can eliminate hours of work:

• Discovery: Sorting through large data sets and identifying relevant information, helping to create interrogatories or responses to them
• Research: Identify relevant statutes and cases, including emerging trends and circuit splits.
• Transactions: Flag inconsistencies or gaps in contracts and agreements, or explain a lengthy document and answer questions about it in plain language for a client.
• Drafting: Creating drafts of routine filings, memos, and briefs. Helping to create client updates to keep them up to date on case progress.
• Practice Management: Automating billing, helping to create marketing materials and campaigns, or analyze internal firm data like time keeping.

The possibilities are staggering if one is willing to experiment with these tools and integrate them into their workflows.

Unfortunately, too many people that have started to use AI in their work are trying to find a quick fix that will allow them to do less work overall. Even if you don’t file a brief with a hallucinated case, using AI in an uncaring way can lead to disconnection, isolation, and loss of reputation. If people know you are just using AI to communicate with them all the time, they will feel less connected to you and build resentment for your lack of empathy. This is why it’s so crucial that we use AI in a way that increased human-centered connection.

This is what happens when we think our true worth or value as attorneys is our output: the words we write or the arguments we make. And in a way, that’s true, but this is a very incomplete picture of our role as attorneys. Especially in a pro bono context, people come to us to help solve their problems, oftentimes in very difficult and vulnerable circumstances. To be able to connect with them, show compassion, and guide them through the process is just as important as filing the right documents on time. These are the human aspects of legal practice that will never be replaced by AI. Indeed, AI used properly can help us find more time and energy to devote to these important tasks.

Strategies for Augmenting Humanity With AI

In the book “More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead,” Rasmus Hougaard challenges us to approach work and life through the lens of Awareness, Wisdom, and Compassion, using AI to help us live into each area. Hougaard argues that true effectiveness does not come from mechanical efficiency, but from cultivating presence, curiosity, and deep listening. Here are some ideas for leveraging AI to improve your humancentered pro bono (and regular) practice:

Get up To Speed

Usually pro bono involves practicing in an area that is not your comfort zone. If you work with a legal aid organization, they will often have a training and subject matter experts to support you. But nothing beats self-study and exploration. Use AI to quickly get up to speed on novel areas of the law so that you can focus more on connecting with your clients and colleagues.

Automate To Elevate

As mentioned above, leverage AI-powered research tools to complete routine tasks much more quickly. Also consider other automation solutions that don’t even require AI. Use document automation to streamline drafting, freeing up time for creative problem-solving. Employ smart scheduling assistants to manage administrative tasks, ensuring that every hour saved is invested in client care or pro bono service. There are lots of products out there that could be saving you time. Don’t be “too busy chopping wood that you forget to sharpen your axe.”

Foster Empathy Through Freed Time

With routine tasks automated, intentionally devote the reclaimed hours to provide deeper client and colleague engagement. Practice active listening, offer space for clients to share their fears and hopes, and be present in moments of vulnerability. Use AI insights to tailor your approach to each individual, recognizing their unique circumstances and emotional needs. Trust that you can spend those extra minutes with a client or colleague instead of looking at the clock worrying about getting on to the next task. These moments will improve your practice and your well-being.

Continuous Learning and Reflection

AI can also be harnessed for ongoing learning. Let it curate articles, case studies, and ethics discussions relevant to your practice. Set up alerts for new developments in pro bono law or community service trends (did you know ChatGPT can do this for you? Just ask it!). Maybe ask it to broaden your knowledge beyond your normal practice area – you might be surprised what catches your attention and relates back to your normal work. Have you tried NotebookLM which turns any PDF or set of PDFs into a podcast? Maybe that law journal article can finally come off your TBR (To Be Read) list!

Schedule regular “reflection sessions” where AI-generated prompts encourage you to review cases not just for their legal outcomes, but for the human impact they generated. After using it for a while, ask it if it has any insights about where you could improve, or what you do well. A viral trend last year was to ask ChatGPT “Based on what you know about me, what’s something you think I don’t know about myself?” and the results were often amazingly poignant (for me, it highlighted a connection between the things I would often turn to it for - my parenting, passion for native gardening, and career in access to justice - as “bringing beauty to the world” – aw, shucks, Chat!). Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable or open up to the chatbots – you may be surprised by the results!

Self Care

We all know we should do more to take care of our mental health and work-life balance. But it can be difficult to dedicate this time amidst the business of life, especially if you are committed to doing pro bono. AI is a great coach in this realm, able to offer small ideas and solutions to help you make progress on your individual self care journey. You can even use the reminder feature mentioned above to help you stay consistent. Ask ChatGPT to give you an inspiring quote every morning, or to ask you to finish the day with something you’re grateful for. Just like that, you are able to implement a small step towards your self care, and therefore your ability to remain calm and connected as an attorney.

Create Your Own Board of Directors (With AI Agents)

You have probably heard that you can create chatbots with their own personalities, communication styles, or focuses. This is a powerful tool in providing feedback that might be otherwise difficult or awkward to come by. By assembling a “personal board of directors” composed of AI agents, attorneys can gain insight into their own blind spots, receive constructive coaching on interpersonal dynamics, and improve their interactions with clients, colleagues, and the court. These agents operate as non-judgmental mirrors, helping lawyers think through where they can become better, more empathetic counselors.

Hope for the Future: AI as a Force for Good

The specter of AI-driven job loss is often overstated. While some roles may shift, the heart of legal work, judgment, advocacy, and human connection, remains irreplaceable. You may have heard that AI can pass the bar. But could it pass a Character and Fitness evaluation? No way, because no one would say that AIs can be trusted at that level (and we probably will not get there at least for a long time).

AI’s greatest promise lies in its ability to augment lawyers, granting them the freedom to pursue meaningful work and to serve both paying and pro bono clients with renewed energy. Consider the ripple effects: as attorneys become more efficient and less bogged down in paperwork, they can accept more pro bono cases, participate in community outreach, and mentor young lawyers (who may be struggling more and more to find entry level opportunities).

AI-enabled practices may reduce burnout and increase job satisfaction, making the profession more sustainable and attractive. For clients, especially those underserved by the legal system, the benefits are profound: greater access to counsel who is present, patient, and invested in their journey.

To build a legal profession that is both innovative and deeply human, we must view AI not as a threat, but as an opportunity. A catalyst for empathy, creativity, and service. By integrating AI thoughtfully into our practices, we begin to fulfill the promise articulated by Rasmus Hougaard: to be “more human” in every aspect of our work.

Let us embrace AI as a pro bono ally, a partner in justice, and a tool for making legal services more accessible, compassionate, and truly centered on the people we serve. In doing so, we step boldly into a future where the law is not just intelligent, but profoundly human.