What is the most effective way to get an attorney to represent a plaintiff "pro bono"?

Answer:
i am not trying to be flippant to your answer, since i hear this question so many times over.
pro bono work is available in death penalty cases and some high profile civil rights violations. so to answer your question, there simply are not enough resources to offer free work in regular cases where a person is afforded the assistance of counsel anyhow.
i have done pro bono work for a substantial amount of time and for the simple reason that by furnishing free legal work the firm can bill the hours against the income - meaning that it lowers the tax liability while, hopefully, doing something good.
i hope this answers it for you.

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be poor.

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contact your local legal aid organization

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What is the most effective way to get YOU to work "pro bono?"

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You have to qualify by being low-income, and get the attorney through your county's legal aid dept., whatever they happen to call it there. Ask the clerks in the court that your case is in, they can point you in the right direction.

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As a lawyer I hear this question too many times. For those who earn below a certain income level, depending upon your state, there are certain legal aid organizations. The Federal government has dropped a large portion of the funding to these organizations, so it may be tough to find one in your town. Call your local bar association or look in the phone book for legal aid organizations. If you qualify for this service by all means use it.

For a private practice attorney this type of question is troubling. You do not hear people asking for ways to get free food, free gas, free electricity, free rent, yet this question is common to lawyers. The majority of lawyers do not make the huge salary that the small percentage of high profile lawyers you see on TV do. The majority of lawyers have student loans, mortgages, utility bills, and all the other expenses that you have. For those of us who own our businesses we have other normal expenses like rent, salaries, advertising, etc, no one gives us a break on these costs.

For a potential client to come to us an say that the value of our work is so small that it is worth zero dollars is insulting.

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They're using attorneys now instead of lab rats. To keep the Lab Techs from becoming attached.