England and Wales' 10th Annual Pro Bono Week was held from 8 to 12 November, and a host of events including pro bono surgeries, receptions and lectures were held across the jurisdiction. As part of the celebrations, the first Pro Bono Yearbook for England and Wales was published by the Bar Council of England and Wales, the Institute of Legal Executives and the Law Society of England and Wales. It showcases the significant "paradigm shift in efforts to coordinate pro bono activity and work collaboratively across the legal profession" in the past decade.
The Yearbook describes the many varied ways in which legal pro bono is being performed - ranging from frontline efforts (such as free legal advice clinics), enabling organisations (such as community groups and charities), to pro bono panels for strategic advice (such as internal organisational matters for non-profits). The contribution of law students to pro bono is also featured, revealing that 65% of law schools in England and Wales offered students pro bono opportunities in 2010 compared with 46% in 2006. The Yearbook's research also reveals that pro bono opportunities were often oversubscribed by students.
The role of technology in supporting and expanding pro bono work is also mentioned in the YearBook. An example given is LawWorks' Initial Electronic Advice Scheme, which allows volunteers to provide short pieces of pro bono advice from their desks, and is also using social media in innovative ways to enable organisations to access legal information and advice quickly and remotely.
Overall, the value of pro bono work undertaken by private practice solicitors in 2010 was estimated at £518 million. Of pro bono work carried out by solicitors working in commerce and industry, 40% was for community groups and charities. The Yearbook notes that pro bono plays a "vital" role in the overall task of providing access to justice, nevertheless a "properly funded and organised system of legal aid is a fundamental requirement".
Click here to read a recent piece on the blog RightsNI.org by Marieanne McKeown of PILA's sister project PILS Public Interest Litigation Support, summarising opportunities for pro bono lawyers to ensure access to justice around Europe.