The power of pro bono: a report on Pro Bono Week 2024

The power of pro bono: a report on Pro Bono Week 2024

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very year, many solicitors, barristers, legal executives and students generously volunteer their time to provide free legal help to people in need or to charities. This year’s Pro Bono Week, from Monday 4th to Friday 8th November, offered a chance to recognise and support that commitment to pro bono – whether thanking volunteers, showcasing organisations’ pro bono projects or holding substantive discussions about pro bono. This year, the theme chosen by the UK organising committee for the Week was “the power of pro bono”.

Thousands of people attended events, with 60 online and in-person events across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Week was kicked off by the official launch event on the Monday in London, Edinburgh and online, with inspiring stories from a panel of volunteers about the power of pro bono, and keynote speeches from the Solicitor General of England & Wales, Sarah Sackman KC MP and the Advocate General for Scotland, Catherine Smith KC.

Amongst the many events included a number of announcements and launches:

• The first Greater Manchester Pro Bono Awards to celebrate 

   pro bono in the region.

• The publication of UK Collaborative Plan statistics showing 

   that during 2023, 78 member law firms provided over 609,000 hours of pro bono, an increase of over 33,000 from the previous year.

• The launch at Parliament of updated signposting guides for 

   MPs about pro bono and other free advice in England, Wales and Scotland, together with a new guide about constituency casework.

• The announcement of the shortlist for 2024 LawWorks Pro 

   Bono Awards.

• A launch of the new Pro Bono Costs Order branch of the Pro 

   Bono Expert Support Scheme, the UK’s first litigation support service.

• The publication of a new website for the Attorney General’s 

    Pro Bono Committee and regional pro bono committees.

Although the official Week has now passed, there are still some events taking place later in November and early December. You can browse the full events calendar at probonoweek.org.uk/events

Apart from events, many organisations and lawyers posted on LinkedIn, X and websites to highlight their commitment to pro bono, whilst the legal press published articles discussing the role of free legal advice by volunteers lawyers. Amongst which was an article by the Solicitor General who explained how at the start of her career she volunteered at Toynbee Hall’s free legal advice centre in London’s East End. She rightly stated that “The power of pro bono lies in its people. That starts with the clients.”, adding that “Whilst pro bono can never be a substitute for a properly resourced legal aid system, it will always have a role to play. Though, regrettably one that is needed more than ever.”

A time to volunteer

All lawyers can get involved in pro bono – and as already been stated, help is needed now more than ever.

Many law firms run their own dedicated pro bono initiatives, many firms having a dedicated pro bono professional lawyer managing the pro bono practice. Those working at law firms can therefore contact the firm’s pro bono coordinator or partner for more details.

There are also a variety of charities that lawyers can do pro bono with or that provide information about volunteering opportunities, including A4ID, Advocate, the Free Representation Unit, International Lawyers Project, LawWorks, National Pro Bono Centre, Pro Bono Connect and TrustLaw. In addition, lawyers can volunteer with advice sector charities, in particular AdviceUK members, Citizens Advice and Law Centres.

Solicitors can also find various pro bono opportunities and training via LawWorks, the solicitor’s pro bono charity, including not-for-profits programme, secondary specialisation project, honorary counsel programme, and the Free Legal Answers website. Firms and in-house teams can apply to provide pro bono legal assistance through TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation global pro bono network. International pro bono is also facilitated by Advocates for International Development, which matches international legal expertise with local need in 100 jurisdictions to further the Sustainable Development Goals.

Links to all of these schemes can be found at www.probonocommittee.uk/lawyers together with guidance on how individual lawyers can undertake pro bono, and how organisations can structure their pro bono programme. 

Finally, on behalf of the sector, thank you to the many lawyers who generously give their time to provide free legal help to those in need. 

Toby Brown

Barrister and chair of the UK Pro Bono Week organising committee

“The power of pro bono lies in its people. That starts with the clients.”