Pro bono record in the making?

If the defense of former Illinois governor George Ryan counts towards pro bono work, expect to see Winston & Strawn high atop the national pro bono firm ranking charts this year.

The cost of devoting Dan Webb, the firm's top litigator, and a small army of other lawyers to Ryan's criminal defense reportedly has cost Winston & Strawn almost $20 million. The tab stood at $10 million in November, the firm said. Indirect costs, such as a loss of new clients, are impossible to measure.***************************** Winston's pro bono work in the Ryan case is almost unprecedented, said legal experts who struggled to cite similar situations*********************************** One thing the Ryan case has done is broaden the definition of pro bono work, lawyers say. The phrase is short for pro bono publico, which is Latin for "for the public good." Pro bono work is defined differently by different firms and legal organizations, but it traditionally refers to legal work provided at no cost to clients who are too poor to pay for an attorney.

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