Writing in NLJ this week, Connor Beaton, senior communications officer at the National Pro Bono Centre, explores how an ancient professional tradition is finding new momentum.
The In House Pro Bono Pledge now has 25 signatories, including major names in retail, energy and financial services. Some legal departments even refuse panel appointments to firms without pro bono programmes.
Meanwhile, the inaugural Student CLE Recognition List honours 1,881 students from 36 universities who contributed at least 25 hours through clinical legal education.
A new historical exhibition, launching in Parliament before touring the UK, will trace the profession’s volunteering roots.
The message for Pro Bono Week, running from 2–6 November, is clear: ‘Celebrate a tradition. Inspire action. Shape the future.’
But volunteering cannot replace legal aid or an adequately funded justice system.
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