header-logo header-logo

Laying the foundations

28 March 2019 / George Wilkinson
Issue: 7834 / Categories: Features , Profession , Charities
printer mail-detail

It’s time for law firms to take the next step in charitable giving, says George Wilkinson

Law firms are no strangers to charity, and more and more are waking up to the opportunities on offer if they pursue charitable initiatives. But the upcoming start of the new financial year offers an opportunity for a fresh approach to charity, perhaps exploring what is relatively uncharted territory for law firms: a fully-independent charitable foundation.

Law firm charitable giving can stretch from doing something funny for money every March on Red Nose Day, sponsoring a local sports club, or perhaps most simply, making a direct donation to a charity. Working alongside and behind this is the law firm’s broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

A large-scale study of CSR in large law firms, undertaken by Birmingham Law School in 2015, found that the motivations of law firms in undertaking CSR vary considerably (see ‘Large Law Firms and Corporate Social Responsibility’, Steven Vaughan, Linden Thomas & Alastair Young, Birmingham Law School, November 2015). The motivations

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
back-to-top-scroll