Pro Bono Week: PILA Launches the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland Impact Report 2025

The Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA) is delighted to launch the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland Impact Report 2025, showcasing the significant contribution of pro bono legal services to communities across Ireland.

The report highlights the commitment of lawyers, law firms, barristers and in-house legal teams who have dedicated their time and expertise to improving access to justice for individuals and organisations facing barriers to legal support.

This year's report records 45,034 hours of pro bono legal work undertaken by 23 reporting signatories to the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland. The findings demonstrate the continued growth of pro bono practice across the legal profession and the positive impact it is having on people and communities throughout the country.

Among the key findings:

• 45,034 hours of pro bono legal work were reported in 2025;
• 31% of reporting law firms exceeded the Pledge's aspirational target of 20 pro bono hours per lawyer;
• 52% of reporting law firms reported an average of more than 10 pro bono hours per lawyer;
• 47% of firms reported partner participation rates of 50% or higher; and
• 52% of firms reported solicitor participation rates of 50% or higher.

The report also features 20 case studies illustrating the breadth of pro bono work being carried out by Pledge signatories. These include support for people seeking international protection, family reunification applications, housing and social welfare matters, women's rights initiatives, legal education programmes, access to justice projects in prisons, governance support for charities, and strategic human rights litigation.

Since the launch of the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland in November 2020, the Pledge has been signed by 52 law firms, 40 barristers, 3 in-house legal teams and 6 individual solicitors. The Pledge provides a shared definition of pro bono legal work, encourages an aspirational target of 20 pro bono hours per lawyer annually, and enables signatories to benchmark progress through annual reporting.

The case studies featured throughout the report demonstrate how pro bono legal assistance can help individuals navigate complex legal systems, secure housing, reunite families, strengthen community organisations, and advance social justice. They also highlight the collaborative partnerships that have emerged between legal professionals, charities and community organisations to address unmet legal need.

PILA would like to thank all signatories who contributed data and case studies to this year's report. Their dedication and commitment continue to strengthen access to justice and reinforce the important role that pro bono work plays in Ireland's legal landscape.

The Pro Bono Pledge Ireland Impact Report 2025 is available to read in full now.