Legal News

A Good (Jones) Day for Indicted O.C. Sheriff

By Ashby Jones

Winston & Strawn took some heat last year for its pro-bono representation of former Illinois governor George Ryan. The firm reportedly spent some $20 million on Ryan’s defense, which didn’t go exactly as the firm planned. Ryan was convicted on 18 charges related to corruption and was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.

Lawyers at Jones Day likely have this cautionary tale in the backs of their mind. The firm has agreed to represent former Orange County, Calif., sheriff Michael Carona in his defense on corruption charges, on a pro-bono basis. Here’s the story from today’s LAT.

So why did Jones Day take the case for free? Jones Day wouldn’t say. But according to the LAT, before he was indicted on federal corruption charges, Carona approached Jones Day heavy Brian Sun (pictured). Shortly thereafter, the firm realized that Carona didn’t have the resources to pay the firm’s fees. But Sun reportedly viewed it as a classic example of government overreach, and wanted to keep the case.

“He represents people that he thinks are being unfairly treated by the justice system,” said Janet I. Levine, a lawyer who has known Sun for 25 years. “He has always been lucky to have the freedom to take on cases he really believes in.”

Okay. But how should we view the Ryan and Carona matters? Are they truly pro-bono work? “For us, that wouldn’t be a typical pro bono client,” Esther F. Lardent, president and chief executive of the Pro Bono Institute at Georgetown University Law Center, told the LAT. “When we talk about modest means, we’re typically talking about someone with significantly lower income.”

And what does AmLaw say? After all, for purposes of rankings and A-Lists and such, it’s that publication’s opinion that counts when it comes to defining pro-bono. Editor-in-Chief Aric Press told the LAT it’s a no go: “It may be a public service,” he says. “But for our purposes, we have definitions about what constitutes pro bono work. If the person can pay for legal representation, we don’t count that as pro bono work.”

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on January 28, 2008 (boomark / email).