Allen & Overy are recruiting a Pro Bono Lawyer (6 month contract) in London – rolling deadline

Central Management

London - Bishops Square

Hybrid (combination of office & remote working)

Job description

Allen & Overy are currently seeking a Pro Bono Lawyer to join the Pro Bono team in London on a 6 month contract or secondment basis to support the Pro Bono Managers, Pro Bono Senior Manager and Head of Pro Bono and Community Investment with the coordination and development of A&O’s global pro bono practice, focusing on strategic partnerships with free legal advice providers in the UK such as Law Centres and on pro bono matter placement globally including legal pro bono work for A&O’s global charity partner.

Role and responsibilities

Pro bono matter scoping and project building

• Maintaining and developing relationships with our established pro bono clients in line with A&O’s commitment to excellence.
• Assisting the Pro Bono Senior Manager and Pro Bono Manager to identify new opportunities to provide impactful pro bono support to, and in partnership with, UK civil society organisations and their beneficiaries.
• Reviewing and assessing new pro bono requests against our programme themes and scoping the legal need.
• Liaising with A&O in-house lawyers and other stakeholders on regulatory compliance issues and with partner champions where necessary.
• Placing approved legal requests with lawyers and supporting them with operational logistics in the early stages of a new matter.
• Assisting the Pro Bono Manager with the development and coordination of large, strategic pro bono projects (both UK-based and global).
• Liaising with pro bono volunteers, civil society clients, A&O’s global charity partner and pro bono brokers to ensure that all pro bono work is delivered to a high standard
• Supporting members of the Pro Bono Team to deliver pro bono opportunities in collaboration with commercial clients.
• Maintaining matter placement records and statistics and monitoring and evaluating core UK projects.

Free legal advice clinics

• Working with the Partner responsible for clinics and with the Pro Bono Manager and Senior manager as appropriate, to manage the participation of A&O lawyers in free legal advice clinics and projects including Battersea Legal Advice Centre and Toynbee Hall Free Legal Advice Clinic.
• Convening the Clinics Working Group and contributing to the strategic direction, development and growth of our work focused on access to justice for individuals.
• Providing supervision for trainee volunteers as required and arranging and providing high-quality training on key areas of law and risk management procedures to trainees and associates.
• Supervising A&O PAs who manage the clinic’s volunteer rotas.
• Assisting with and consulting on strategy, coordination and training for our end-to-end projects focused on access to justice for individuals, working with members of the Clinics Working Group.

Communications and marketing

• Raise the profile of the pro bono practice internally and externally to increase awareness, impact and participation, especially in a UK context.
• Presenting regularly on A&O's pro bono practice to vacation scheme students, trainees, at departmental meetings, the ‘University of programme and new joiners.
• Contributing to written communications on A&O's legal pro bono work when needed, including intranet articles, external pieces on A&O.com, the firm's annual review and award applications.
• Assisting Pro Bono Team members with internal and external marketing of A&O pro bono events.
• Representing A&O’s pro bono legal practice at external events, conferences, training sessions and seminars.

Other Duties

• Supporting the Pro Bono Managers in their secretariat roles for pro bono executive committees including knowledge sharing, identifying relevant pro bono opportunities and attendance at meetings.
• Serving as the first point of contact for UK pro bono clients with questions about the A&O Foundation, London Grants Committee.
• Providing input on the strategic direction of the Global Pro Bono Practice.
• Working with the A&O trainee on secondment from time to time to the Pro Bono Team to deliver pro bono advice.

Key Requirements

• Lawyer qualified in England and Wales with a current practising certificate and at least one year’s post qualification experience (or equivalent).
• Direct legal experience advising and acting for clients and in client care.
• Experience in pro bono work as a volunteer or coordinator.
• Interest in social justice, social welfare, human rights and current affairs.

Apply on the company’s website here.