Lawyer Jacquelyn F. MacLennan shares reflections from a panel session at the 2023 IBA Annual Conference focused on pro bono and environmental and social governance (ESG).
Released on Jan 29, 2024
Lawyer Ishrat Hasan was the recipient of the 2020 IBA LexisNexis Pro Bono Award and, in this article, shares some of the matters she has handled pro bono and reflects on the continued need for pro bono legal services in Bangladesh.
Released on Jan 29, 2024
This article explores the continued need for justice in a post-apartheid South Africa and how pro bono legal services support re-opened inquests into the deaths of activists detained by the ‘Security Branch’, a division of the police under apartheid.
Released on Jan 29, 2024
Pro bono legal services have been gradually gaining traction in Pakistan although there is ample room for growth and improvement to entirely realise the potential of pro bono work. This article explores the existing legal, regulatory and policy framework in Pakistan which fosters a conducive environment for pro bono legal services.
Released on Jan 29, 2024
This article explores the link between law firms and ESG standards, assesses the prevalence of these standards in Pakistan, and discusses what steps can be taken to improve ESG compliance in the country, specifically for law firms.
Released on Jun 2, 2023
As the 21st century came to centre stage, new generations of young professionals began to work in full-service law firms around the globe. With the appearance of these young professionals, firms started to face brand new challenges, especially related to old-style ways of working.
Released on Apr 13, 2023
An article looking behind the scenes at pro bono work
Released on Apr 13, 2023
This article explores how law firms can meet and support environmental, social, and corporate governance targets through their commitment to pro bono work.
Released on Jun 14, 2022
This article describes the pro bono efforts to achieve a certification mark for the Mapuche people
Released on Jun 14, 2022
This article traces the seven-year journey of two siblings to achieve registration of their births and citizenship. Names used with permission from clients.
Released on Jun 14, 2022
This article describes the need for pro bono efforts to assist migrants, asylum seekers, or refugees in the Colombian context and describes how this can contribute to social inclusion and a reduction in trauma for these populations.
Released on Jun 14, 2022
This article explores how non-profit organisations can benefit from pro bono legal services to support compliance with Resolution 453/11 in Paraguay. The Resolution imposes an obligation to adopt policies and preventive proceedings for identifying, registering and reporting transactions involving suspicion of laundering assets.
Released on Jan 6, 2022
In Colombia, legal needs relating to health are the most prevalent among vulnerable populations. In response, the Colombia ProBono Foundation is designing and developing the country’s first medical-legal partnership to deal with health-related social and legal issues.
Released on Jan 6, 2022
This article explores redress for the family of a woman denied adequate maternal healthcare following a long legal process both domestically and internationally through the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Released on Jan 6, 2022
An overview of the recent articles posted by the IBA Pro Bono Committee in January 2022.
Released on Jan 6, 2022
This article explores how commercial lawyers are effectively using their unique expertise in global trade and sanctions to deliver pro bono services that support accountability for human rights violations committed by non-state actors. This is having a powerful effect on accountability for crimes against humanity directed at women and other sanctions experts willing to engage on a pro bono basis are invited to join these efforts.
Released on Aug 18, 2021
By Pamela R Kovacs. Editor’s Note – Pro Bono Committee e-Bulletin
In this article, the importance of pro bono legal services is highlighted in public interest matters regarding freedom of expression. The article reviews the introduction of a Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suit defence in a defamation suit against environmental defendants in South Africa.
This article explores challenges in accessing justice in Brazil during Covid-19 and highlights pro bono efforts to support public interest and social impact matters.
This article provides an overview of key findings from a December 2020 report analysing prisoner releases in 53 countries during Covid-19 and highlighting findings for further pro bono support.
This article details the journey of a pro bono correctional matter during Covid-19 and identifies the responsibility for all those in the legal field to continue services despite obstacles presented by the pandemic.
This article reflects on growing pro bono practice in Ireland, highlighting recent policy initiatives including hiring of pro bono associates, changes requiring lawyers involved in government framework agreements for legal services to undertake pro bono work, and a Pro Bono Pledge. Ongoing pro bono initiatives are also featured, including additional support during Covid-19.
This article considers the history of pro bono lawyering, the reasons behind its growing popularity, and how pro bono practice is growing in Italy with the introduction of a first association to promote pro bono culture and practice.
This article explores why women, particularly women in developing countries, are impacted by taxation systems in a way that has only recently become part of the mainstream tax and development debate. Through the declaration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international community has signalled the importance of all parts of society to work to improve women’s lives. As part of that, progressive tax systems can allow women to take on paid work outside the home, to improve the h
Discrimination and violence against women are problems with high prevalence and huge impact. This article discusses how the issue of gender inequality can be treated by pro bono work. Taking the experience of Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados, the text highlights the role of the private sector to improve women’s rights through dedicated pro bono efforts.
Recently a full bench of the High Court in South Africa handed down a ground-breaking judgment which upheld the rights of undocumented children to a basic education and ruled that the right to a basic education enshrined in the South African Constitution applies to all regardless of their status. This landmark judgment provides much needed protection to countless undocumented and vulnerable children in South Africa. The application was brought by public interest organisations in the interests of all affect
In South Africa, efforts are underway to reopen inquests into the deaths of various anti-apartheid activists who died at the hands of the state during apartheid. Along with other organisations, the Pro Bono Department of Webber Wentzel is working to right past injustices and through new legal inquests, shed light on the lives and deaths of brave activists.
On 18 October 2019 Chile saw a turning point in its history and politics. A CLP30 increase subway fares triggered a series of protests calling for social and economic change through legal reform. Due to this social crisis, political actors from different sectors signed the Agreement for Social Peace and New Constitution which gave rise to an unprecedented constitutional procedure in Chile’s history and the active participation of the Chilean public via a referendum. Lawyers from Albagli Zaliasnik share the
Tokens Pombo are an innovative combination between blockchain technology and pro bono projects in support of access to justice. As the Fernando Pombo Foundation explains, this methodology introduces a new manner of charitable fundraising that results in the total transparency and traceability of a donation. This initiative is social engagement through the application of technology and legal innovation, and aims specifically at the rights of victims of gender-based violence, victims of trafficking for the p
DLA Piper has provided pro bono representation for Georgia in multilateral climate-change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for a number of years. This article reviews the benefit this can wield for a developing country as well as what is involved in representing a country in this capacity, including sending volunteer lawyers to various locations around the world and, during key moments of negotiation, providing round-the-clock support.