Associates at large law firms would be more inclined to offer services pro bono if their firms credited them for the work, Bryant said today.

Junior lawyers are often required to meet annual billing targets, such as 1,800 hours of paid labour.

Bryant told a national pro bono conference in Toronto that "targets" are a practical way of fostering a "pro bono culture" within Ontario's legal profession.

If pro bono work counts for nothing when it's time to tally up the hours, lawyers are less likely to take on cases at no charge on behalf of needy clients, Bryant said while speaking to lawyers and judges from across Canada at the Metropolitan Hotel.

Bryant said he recognizes that law firms of all sizes perform pro bono work every day, whether that takes the form of reducing bills, answering questions for free or doing a case at no charge from beginning to end.

But targets signal a commitment, he said told delegates attending the conference, hosted by Pro Bono Law Ontario, a non-profit agency established four years ago to promote pro bono work.

"The point is to commit to the pro bono publico culture."

Two years ago, Bryant called on big firms to devote 5 per cent of the time they would normally spend on revenue-generating files to work performed on a pro bono basis.

At the time, only a handful of firms were crediting associate lawyers for pro bono work, he said. Today, 13 of Toronto's largest law firms have developed policies that encourage lawyers to do some work for free and count the work among their billable hours.

While he's hoping pro bono work continues to gain momentum, Bryant said his government doesn't consider it a substitute for legal aid.

The province isn't backing away from its commitment to fund legal aid services, he said.

"The McGuinty government's commitment to legal aid is not, will not and cannot be diminished in any way, shape or form by our commitment to a pro bono culture," he said.

Bryant also praised plans to bring the concept of "Maison de la Justice" to Ontario. The idea, born in France and introduced in Quebec as a pilot project a few years ago, connects people who have legal problems with lawyers who can offer guidance on where to go for help.

Bryant said he was emailed by two University of Ottawa law students, who were "passionate" about the idea and encouraged him to try it here. He contacted the Advocates Society, a Toronto-based association of litigation lawyers, which is working on establishing it in Ontario.