"The primary reason is often not that they care so much about legal services," says Lee D. Goldstein, a supervising attorney at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, which is one of the student-run clinical programs. "It's a way to train young lawyers in litigation."

"The cynical view is that for firms, pro bono work is an opportunity for associates to have hands-on work on cases without botching up work for big clients," Butts says. "But some firms have partners with a real interest in putting the firms' resources behind assisting people who don't have the ability to hire a lawyer. There aren't a lot of firms like that."

Together, those factors mean the need for legal services is continuing to outdistance the supply.

But many legal experts say that trend has sparked a positive reaction in recent years. They say calls for more private pro bono work are growing increasingly loud, even if the voices are predominantly from an older generation of lawyers.

Renewed attention to the perceived decline of interest in public service has prompted bar associations nationwide to adopt policies calling on their members to do pro bono work.

The Massachusetts Bar Association, for instance, has launched "Countdown to 500," a campaign to recruit from among its membership 500 new lawyers who will do pro bono work, says a spokesperson.

In addition, the group recently presented its members with guidelines for "professionalism" that included a recommendation that attorneys accept at least one volunteer case per year. Two weeks ago, a New England Board of Higher Education report, entitled "Law and the Information Society," echoed that call.

Already, a smattering of volunteer-active corporations, such as Walt Disney, Gilette and Aetna Life and Casualty, operate pro bono progams with large enrollments.

Some lawyers cite Aetna as a model company. It permits its attorneys to spend up to 10 percent of their paid company time on volunteer work. It also encourages its summer law interns to participate in at least one volunteer case.

Aetna's programs have been popular among employees. Of the four pro bono programs run by the Hartford-based corporation, one employs 30 attorneys. Another boasts 90 attorneys and staff members, according to Hill.

On an individual level, some law firms are working to provide their associates with similar concrete incentives to take on volunteer cases.

Foley, Hoag and Eliot, which was cited several months ago by The Boston Phoenix as one of the area's top 10 public-spirited companies, has a large pro bono program, with more than half its 140 members handling volunteer cases at any time.

Deutch says the firm believes it has an "obligation" to provide public service.

"Since we're licensed by the state to work in our profession, and members provide valuable services and are well compensated, it's the least we can do to return that to the society that makes it possible," Deutch says.

Foley, Hoag and Eliot works with a variety of clients. It helps Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice groups challenge state abortion consent laws. It also handles civil rights cases, in which the clients need not be indigent.