Pro Bono
If you are seeking pro bono assistance, CILEx has put
together a list of pro bono charities where you may be able to
find help.
What is Pro Bono?
The term 'pro bono' comes
from the Latin phase 'pro bono publico' which simply
translated means 'for the public good'.
Pro bono work is legal work lawyers
undertake without receiving payment. It can take the form of giving
advice at drop in clinics, helping a charity with a piece of legal
work or agreeing to represent someone in court. There are many
other areas and types of work where lawyers can help and there are
also projects where students can help too such as working in
schools to introduce pupils to the legal system.
Doing pro bono work offers lawyers and
students alike many different benefits. Besides giving you the
opportunity to give something back to your community, you can
also develop your legal skills and knowledge in your area of work,
get involved in new areas of work, participate in
multi-disciplinary projects and even travel abroad to work on
international projects.
A Pro Bono
Protocol has been developed to quality mark pro bono work and
ensure lawyers give an equal level of care, attention and priority
to pro bono work as would apply to paid work.
What about Legal Aid?
Pro bono work is not a replacement
for a properly funded legal aid system. CILEx and the CILEx
Pro Bono Trust firmly believe that government has a
responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to good quality
legal advice and representation even if they cannot afford to pay
for it. Nevertheless there will always be some gaps and many
community and charitable organisations have limited resources which
would be better applied to their real aims rather than spent on
legal fees. Pro bono aims to fill those gaps while continuing to
campaign for a better legal aid system.