The Departments of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, pursuant to the authority invested in them, do hereby amend, effective May 1, 2013, Rule 6.1 of Part 1200 of Title 22 of the Official Compilations of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, entitled "Rules of Professional Conduct," as follows:

Rule 6.1 Voluntary Pro Bono Service

Lawyers are strongly encouraged to provide pro bono legal services to benefit poor persons.

(a) Every lawyer should aspire to:

(1) provide at least 50 [20] hours of pro bono legal services each year to poor persons; and

(2) contribute financially to organizations that provide legal services to poor persons. Lawyers should aspire to contribute annually in an amount at least equivalent to (i) the amount typically billed by the lawyer (or the firm with which the lawyer is associated) for one hour of time; or (ii) if the lawyer’s work is performed on a contingency basis, the amount typically billed by lawyers in the community for one hour of time; or (iii) the amount typically paid by the organization employing the lawyer for one hour of the lawyer’s time; or (iv) if the lawyer is underemployed, an amount not to exceed one-tenth of one percent of the lawyer’s income.

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