header-logo header-logo

26 September 2025 / Bea Rossetto
Issue: 8132 / Categories: Features , Profession , Pro Bono , Charities , Training & education , Housing
printer mail-detail

Lifesaving lawyering

230739
Commercial lawyers can make a real impact to those who need legal support the most—no specialist expertise required. Bea Rossetto introduces General Practice Pro Bono
  • General Practice Pro Bono uses everyday legal skills to deliver vital help for people facing housing and social welfare issues.

When people think of pro bono work, they often assume it requires deep subject matter expertise, in areas such as housing, family, immigration, or welfare. Understandably, many lawyers can be hesitant to get involved in cases outside their usual fee-earning practice, whether due to their unfamiliarity with the area of law, or simply not knowing where to start. But the reality is that many of the tasks required don’t demand retraining or niche legal knowledge to make a difference to someone’s case. What they do require are skills you already have: legal analysis and problem solving; drafting and document review; client communication; strategic decision-making; procedural awareness; and legal research.

At the National Pro Bono Centre, we call this ‘General Practice Pro Bono’. It’s about

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

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys senior leadership appointments

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths strengthens London Construction and Engineering practice with two strategic senior hires

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins announces strategic hire to deepen skills base in the social business sector

NEWS
More than 100 teams from the legal and financial services sectors competed in five sports at the 51st Law Society RFC Festival of Sport earlier this month
Part-time status need only be an effective cause of less favourable treatment, rather than the sole cause, the Supreme Court has held in Augustine v Data Cars
Britain’s new acknowledgement that Israel’s occupation is unlawful, and accompanying settlement-goods ban and sanctions, is significant but overdue, argue Danny Friedman KC and Victor Kattan in NLJ this week
New planning fee rises, wider trade union access rights and a service-by-email trap feature in Stephen Gold’s latest Civil Way
Existing defamation law can respond to AI ‘hallucinations’, but allocating responsibility will prove harder where outputs reach users without human intervention
back-to-top-scroll