The launch of the Pro Bono Recognition List will be one of the highlight events of this year’s Pro Bono Week UK (4–8 November). The List honours 3,749 lawyers who participated in at least 25 hours of pro bono legal work in 2023, comprising 483 barristers and 3,266 solicitors.
Baroness Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, said: ‘Those lawyers follow the long tradition of the legal profession in volunteering their time to provide free legal assistance to individuals and charities.
‘The judiciary sees first-hand how pro bono advice and representation helps those who might not otherwise receive legal assistance.’
Pro bono is embedded in the legal profession’s culture. Last year, almost 50% of barristers worked pro bono while 78 law firms who are members of the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono undertook a record 609,000 hours of pro bono.
The theme of this year’s week is ‘the power of pro bono’, with a focus on spreading the word on how to place pro bono at the heart of your practice and make the most of access to justice technology. Hundreds of events will take place, offering opportunities to learn more, network, debate and discuss issues, and celebrate the great work lawyers do for free where justice would otherwise be denied due to lack of funds.
Toby Brown, Chair of the UK organising committee of Pro Bono Week, said: ‘At events during the Week we will hear powerful stories of how individuals previously barred from justice have been helped; take part in discussions of how pro bono can be embedded in organisations and careers; and see a focus on how technology can enhance access to justice.’
The success stories speak for themselves—a London firm won £350,000 for a modern slavery survivor subjected to 26 years of exploitation, while law firms and charities like JustRight Scotland have helped 699 undocumented children access justice with a 99% success rate.
A law firm assisting Save the Children used its artificial intelligence-assisted e-discovery platform to review thousands of documents received from the UK Covid-19 inquiry.
A barrister dedicated nearly 300 hours to successfully defend an ex-wife, whose case was that she had been abused by her ex-husband, from a defamation and harassment claim he brought against her. A law firm collaborated in providing the assistance via the Pro Bono Connect scheme.
However, these are just a few examples of the hard work that takes place every day. Pro Bono Week is the perfect time to find out more and get involved.
As Neil Mackenzie KC, the Keeper of the Advocates Library and the convenor of the Free Legal Services Unit at the Faculty of Advocates, puts it: ‘By sharing stories, collaborating, and networking, the individuals and organisations who devote so much time and effort to providing pro bono legal services can achieve even more than they could on their own.’
See here for a full calendar of events.
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