Training sessions looked at how lawyers can work together to help combat climate change, while other events covered the business case for pro bono, whether remote volunteering can overcome geographical distance, and the benefits of coordinating pro bono with funded legal work.
Data published by the Bar Council shows 4,618 barristers provided pro bono help in the past year. Likewise, thousands of solicitors and legal professionals have worked on a vast range of projects, from volunteering at housing charities to advising on test cases.
In March, for example, Gibson Dunn lawyers welcomed the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe after working pro bono on the case for six years. DLA Piper has provided the lead on the Ukraine Advice Project, matching UK lawyers working pro bono with Ukrainians in need of immigration advice and other legal help.
Mark Fenhalls KC, chair of the Bar, said: ‘While pro bono support can never adequately fill the gap in public provision of legal aid, it often provides a vital safety net for individuals and families who are struggling to secure legal advice and representation.’
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: ‘With the cost-of-living crisis leaving many people struggling, it is as vital as ever to shine a light on the important work lawyers do for free to help those in need of crucial legal advice.’
LawWorks, the solicitors’ pro bono group, and Hogan Lovells, along with volunteers from Eversheds Sutherland, Addleshaw Goddard and Mishcon de Reya, are collecting data from MPs’ surgeries around the country to highlight gaps in legal provision. The resulting report, a follow-up to the 2016 report Mind the Gap, will be published early next year.
Annie Lund, associate at Hogan Lovells, said: ‘In the appointments observed to date, housing was the most prevalent issue, followed by immigration’.
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