Of the nearly 4,000 lawyers registered in the Balearic Islands, approximately 700—17.5%—are on duty. These are the lawyers who guide, assist, advise, and defend those eligible for free legal aid at any time of day, a right reserved for individuals who meet certain income thresholds and belong to vulnerable groups. All of these lawyers combine their duty counsel with private practice. The 87 to 150 euros they receive for a 24-hour shift in jurisdictions such as gender violence or criminal cases do not allow for full-time dedication. "We are driven by a vocation of service to the public, because it is very poorly paid," confirms Carmen López, Vice Dean of the Balearic Islands Bar Association (ICAIB) and head of the duty counsel service. She herself, with 34 years of experience, practices in criminal and juvenile law. "For me, the experience is very enriching; each case is a challenge," she says about the possibility of defending minors, a branch of law almost exclusively handled by public defenders.