So called “non-profit” firms are getting a lot of press lately (See article from the ABA Journal) But the “non-profit” designation can be misleading.  It certainly doesn’t mean that the lawyers who work there are not compensated.  Some officers of non-profits–at least outside the legal context–are quite handsomely paid.  Lawtender wonders if the “non-profit” designation is necessary.  Why not apply the same methods for providing low-bono services in the context of an openly for-profit firm?  Wouldn’t the consumer of those services, the general public, benefit from letting the “invisible hand” of a  capitalistic free market drive innovation and efficiency?  Does Uncle Sam need to subsidize our profession?  While Lawtender applauds the effort to bridge the access-to-justice gap, these issues merit additional thought.