New York will become the first state to require lawyers to provide free legal services as a condition for being licensed to practice, says The New York Times.

Announced Tuesday by the state’s top judge, the rule is aimed at meeting the exploding demand for legal aid brought on by the recession and the collapse of the housing market, which have sent foreclosure and eviction cases skyrocketing. While the need has grown, state and public legal-aid support has plummeted, according to the Times.

Starting in 2013, the approximately 10,000 lawyers who apply annually to the New York bar will required to show they have done at least 50 hours of pro bono work.