Celebration of 12th annual pro bono week
A “Question Time” panel discussion and free drop-in advice sessions were held across the country this week as lawyers marked the 12th annual National Pro Bono Week (4-8 November).
Keele University hosted a training conference for legal advisers on working with litigants in person, while East Anglia solicitors, Prettys, Manchester’s Pannone and other firms offered free legal advice at surgeries throughout the week.
A Law Society survey last year found that three out of five solicitors have done pro bono work at some point in their career. The vast majority of pro bono solicitors are in private practice.The average number of pro bono hours worked in one year was 47 hours, and the estimated value across solicitors in private practice was more than £510m (or 2.6% of total turnover).
Two handbooks, A Guide to Pro Bono and The Pro Bono Yearbook of England and Wales, which seeks to assist MPs and advice agencies in how they can best access pro bono services for their constituents and clients, have been updated to coincide with the week’s acitivities constituents and clients.
