Pro bono news around the world
A regular feed of pro bono stories in the media and updates from across the global pro bono sector.
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Pro bono lawyers braced for impact of Trump’s second term
Donald Trump’s victory in November’s US presidential election was based, in part, on controversial promises to deport migrants en masse, defend states’ rights to restrict abortion, and roll back affirmative action and other anti-discrimination policies. This agenda has provoked a wave of trepidation among pro bono lawyers working in these and other contentious areas of civil rights.
Simmons & Simmons helps launch ‘whale rights law’
Lawyers from Simmons & Simmons have been working pro bono to support the creation of a new legal framework that could transform environmental protection for marine life. The initiative, Te Mana o Te Tohorā (The Enduring Power of Whales), aims to establish whales as legal persons, granting them rights that recognise their ecological importance and sentience.
The economic contribution of legal services 2024
The Law Society of England and Wales has released a report detailing the latest valuation of the legal services sector to the UK economy and internationally. The report found that an estimated 68,000 solicitors provided a total of 1,562,000 hours of pro bono work, valued at £474 million.
Lawyers using AI are more likely to do pro bono work
A new LexisNexis survey has unveiled a strong link between UK lawyers using AI and those doing pro bono work.
New Zealand announces new pro bono legal network to address gaps in legal aid
A new pro bono legal network is set to boost the amount of support available for people in New Zealand who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer. The Framework for Collaborative Pro Bono in Aotearoa aims to address gaps in legal aid, motivate more lawyers and firms to work pro bono, and advocate for legal reform. Six firms have signed up so far, agreeing to a voluntary target of at least 25 hours of pro bono work per full-time lawyer each year.
Filipino lawyers required to render 60 hours of pro bono service
The Supreme Court of the Philippines has approved rules that will require all lawyers to render 60 hours of pro bono legal service every three years to indigent Filipinos who cannot afford legal representation. The rules allow lawyers to substitute up to 50 per cent of their required pro bono hours with a financial contribution to the Unified Legal Aid Service.
White & Case secures US$9.45 million settlement for wrongfully convicted pro bono client
Global law firm White & Case LLP has helped obtain a US$9.45 million civil rights settlement from the City of New York for pro bono client Eric DeBerry. This settlement follows White & Case's success in vacating Mr. DeBerry's wrongful conviction for first degree assault and robbery, for which he served more than 20 years in prison.
New website launched by Pro Bono Committees of England & Wales
A new website has been launched by the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee of England & Wales, jointly with the network of regional pro bono committees in the jurisdiction. The website also hosts the Guide to Pro Bono & Other Free Advice in England & Wales along with the Scottish Guide.