As the 23rd annual UK Pro Bono Week unfolds this week, the UK’s legal community will mark the significant contributions of lawyers who offer free legal services to those in need. 

This year’s theme, The Power of Pro Bono, highlights pro bono lawyers’ profound impact on the justice system and the lives of individuals unable to afford legal representation.

The week will be officially launched this evening (4 November) at events hosted by Norton Rose Fulbright in London and Laigh Hall, Edinburgh.

The launch will feature discussions on pro bono initiatives and the ongoing efforts to embed these practices within legal careers. Noteworthy speakers include attorney general Lord Hermer KC and advocate general for Scotland Catherine Smith KC.

Examples of the work undertaken by business law firms include Freshfields’ work for an anti-slavery group, securing more than £350,000 in compensation for a modern slavery survivor who faced 26 years of exploitation.

Norton Rose Fulbright, meanwhile, leveraged AI technology to support pro bono client Save the Children, aiding the document review process for the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry.

A commitment to pro bono work was also exemplified by the work of barristers Jake Rudman and Jennifer MacLeod, who jointly received the Junior Pro Bono Barrister of the Year award at the Bar Pro Bono Awards, which took place in May. Their defence of an ex-wife against defamation and harassment claims demonstrated, over hundreds of hours, the unpaid role that advocates acting as legal volunteers play in sensitive cases.

On Tuesday evening, meanwhile, Pinsent Masons, working with Fifth Day, the charity for legal business professionals founded by Fred Banning, will host an event with Reach Volunteering

The UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono reports that its 78 member firms contributed a record 609,000 hours of pro bono service in 2023. The average hours spent on pro bono efforts per lawyer also rose, reflecting a broadening commitment across the sector.

Despite this increasing commitment, Law Society and Bar Council of England and Wales leaders were keen to stress the realities of decades’ worth of reduced legal aid funding on the so-called ‘justice gap’ between people’s legal needs. 

Both men have previously expressed concerns over the inadequacy of state funding, especially following last week’s Budget, emphasising that while pro bono work is crucial, it cannot wholly bridge the justice gap.

Law Society president Richard Atkinson said: “The Law Society is proud to be taking part in celebrating once again Pro Bono Week and all the incredible and selfless work lawyers do to help vulnerable people access justice when they need it the most.” 

Bar Council chair Sam Townend KC added: “Pro bono not only plays a significant role in reversing miscarriages of justice and helping many through difficult stages in their lives but also benefits the lawyers undertaking the work.

“I gained invaluable experience on tribunals at the beginning of my career working for the Free Representation Unit. I encourage all barristers, from second six to silk, at any stage of their career, to consider making pro bono part of their practice.”

Toby Brown, chair of the UK organising committee of Pro Bono Week, said: “The UK-wide organising committee chose ‘the Power of Pro Bono’ as this year’s theme, recognising lawyers’ impact when volunteering their legal services to those in need.”

Such activities, said Brown, would foster a deeper understanding of the integral role pro bono work plays in the legal profession and encourage deeper ongoing participation.

Scottish advocate Neil Mackenzie KC, the Free Legal Services Unit convenor at the Faculty of Advocates, added: “By sharing stories, collaborating and networking, the individuals and organisations who devote so much time and effort to providing pro bono legal services can achieve even more than they could on their own.”

Click here for a full list of the events taking place during UK Pro Bono Week.