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The IBA’s response to the war in Ukraine
Co-Chair
Odette Geldenhuys
Co-Chair
Paula Samper
Pro Bono Committee
The IBA Pro Bono Committee is committed to actively encouraging lawyers, judges, law firms, bar associations, law schools, and governmental and non-governmental organisations to participate in pro bono legal service.
Latest updates
IBA Lexis-Nexis Pro Bono Award
The IBA Lexis-Nexis Pro Bono Award is now open for nominations with a deadline of June 3, 2023.
Ukraine
The IBA is responding to the situation in Ukraine. See pro bono and expert roster opportunities on the IBA War Crimes Committee webpage under ‘Ukraine Crisis Legal Resources'.
E-bulletin - July 2022
Read articles from the Pro Bono Committee’s latest e-Bulletin! These articles describe pro bono efforts to assist migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees; achieve birth registration and citizenship; protect Indigenous rights, culture and traditions through intellectual property; as well as ways law firms can meet environmental and social governance targets through their commitment to pro bono work.. Aligned with the IBA Pro Bono Declaration, legal professionals are offering advocacy and pro bono legal services for important and pressing matters.
IBA Pro Bono Award 2022
The recipient of the International Bar Association (IBA) Pro Bono Award for 2022 has been announced as Elba Gutiérrez, Manager of the Greenberg Traurig Global Pro Bono Programme. She is honoured for her instrumental role in delivering and promoting pro bono legal services in Mexico, a country where pro bono legal work is uncommon and not mandatory. Describing herself as a ‘human rights defender in a corporate attorney’s body’, Ms Gutiérrez has worked for humanitarian causes throughout her career.
When notified about the award, Ms Gutiérrez remarked: ‘I’m deeply honoured to receive this award. As attorneys we have a superpower: we can understand, explain, and enforce the law to change and even save lives. We can improve the world through our profession. I’m convinced that pro bono work is one of the most powerful tools to achieve not just justice, but also social change and people’s empowerment. My work as a young woman from the Global South is testament of that.’
Remote Legal Support: A Guide to Nonprofit and Pro Bono Innovation
This manual is the collective effort of more than 10 nonprofit immigration organizations and projects. We met regularly for over a year, to explore ways to leverage technology, and share strategies that improve access to justice for rural and underserved communities.
About the Committee
The Committee support pro bono legal services globally through the dissemination and implementation of the IBA Pro Bono Declaration, the exchange of pro bono information and initiatives, and the promotion of good pro bono practices.
On this webpage, you can find resources to assist in carrying out pro bono projects - check out the resources tab. You may find inspiration in what other professionals are doing both on an international and on a local basis by reading articles from our e-Bulletins.
Accordingly, in 2008, the IBA published its Pro Bono Declaration and charged the then Pro Bono & Access to Justice Committee with primary responsibility, together with its other access to justice work, for delivering on this commitment.
From 2013, recognising the importance to the profession of pro bono provision, this work has been taken up by a restructured Pro Bono Committee, whose mandate is to focus exclusively on the promotion and facilitation of pro bono work in furtherance of the aims of the Pro Bono Declaration.
Further initiatives include establishing Regional Working Groups to identify and address particular pro bono needs across the globe and a Clearing House Directory to publicise the work of the growing community of pro bono clearing houses and support their work. The Committee continues to seek new methods of encouraging and supporting pro bono work across the profession and is particularly keen to attract additional members who share its enthusiasm and dedication and would like to participate actively in its work.
Pro Bono Declaration
The IBA calls upon lawyers and law firms to undertake pro bono work as an integral part of their professional activities.
Publications
Leveraging Pro Bono Services for ESG Advancement in Pakistan’s Legal Sector
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 02, 2023
Bringing closure to families in post-apartheid South Africa with the support of pro bono legal services
This article explores the continued need for justice in a post-apartheid world 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 Apr 25, 2023
Is pro bono work the future for full-service law firms?
pro bono, pro bono at full-service firms, Argentina, Latin America.
Released on Apr 13, 2023
Pro bono and ESG: new standards for law firms
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
Resources
Key pro bono resources
- Index of Pro Bono (TrustLaw)
The index identifies global trends in the pro bono marketplace and looks at the amount of pro bono work law firms are undertaking on a country-by-country basis. - Law360 Access to Justice Legal News and Analysis (Lexis Nexis)
This weekly e-newsletter offers content on pro bono and access to justice issues. - Pro Bono Clearinghouse Manual (A4ID and PILnet)
This manual offers resources for developing pro bono clearinghouse services and includes chapters on procedures, developing a supportive environment, publicity, financial sustainability, and useful contacts. - Pro Bono for Government Lawyers (Australian Pro Bono Center)
This resource details key issues affecting participation by government lawyers in pro bono legal work and draws on the experience of government legal teams with existing pro bono policies and legal programmess, offering examples of the types of pro bono work in which government lawyers can be involved. - Pro Bono Handbook (Vance Centre and PILnet)
This handbook offers a guide to establishing a law firm pro bono programme. - Remote Legal Support: A Guide to Nonprofit and Pro Bono Innovation (ProBonoNet)
This guide explores ways to leverage technology and shares strategies that improve access to justice for rural and underserved communities. - Survey on Pro Bono Practices & Opportunities (Latham & Watkins and Pro Bono Institute)
This survey in 84 jurisdictions provides information about global pro bono legal services. - Pro Bono Guide for In-House Counsel (Australian Pro Bono Center)
This free guide provides guidance to in-house lawyers looking to set up a pro bono practice or simply become more involved in pro bono work – whether as a team or an individual.
Key international pro bono organisations
Pro Bono Declaration
The IBA calls upon lawyers and law firms to undertake pro bono work as an integral part of their professional activities.
Key Thematic Pro Bono Resources
- Child rights (PILnet)
- Climate change (Australian Pro Bono Centre and PILnet)
Subcommittees and other groups
The Pro Bono Committee also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.
- Pro Bono Committee Advisory Board
Digital content
VIDEO - Creativity in the pro bono sector: a response to international crises (1h5m)
This webinar recording from December 2021 features a discussion among Pro Bono Coordinators of three strategies used for the delivery of legal services during times of crisis: the use of digital innovation, inter- and intra-firm collaboration, and pro bono associations. Often, these are novel situations which involve multiple jurisdictions and occasionally, are also politically sensitive.
VIDEO - The use of technology in pro bono - advantages, pitfalls, and lessons learned (56 minutes)
This session recording from the IBA 2020 - Virtually Together Conference considers using technology in pro bono service delivery and what has and has not worked. The session discusses the importance of a design-based and user-based approach to understand and best identify how to design systems that meet the needs of users, including topics such as crowdfunding, the use of blockchain technology, and the digitization of the free legal advice community.
VIDEO - Building an effective pro bono infrastructure (2 hours 18 minutes)
This session recording from the IBA Annual Conference 2016 considered how a pro bono function can be managed within law firms, and examined various models, including the involvement of dedicated legal and non-legal staff and committee and similar structures. The extent to which firms, particularly smaller firms, can share resources was also discussed. Read more
VIDEO - International Pro Bono Part I (1 hour 2 minutes)
This first session recording from the IBA Annual Conference 2015 focuses on international pro bono and reviews the different areas of opportunity for this work – pro bono does not have to begin at home. Read more
VIDEO - International Pro Bono Part II (1 hour 9 minutes)
This second session recording from the IBA Annual Conference 2015 focuses on international pro bono and reviews the different areas of opportunity for this work – pro bono does not have to begin at home. Read more
VIDEO - Pro Bono and Young Lawyers (2 hours 25 minutes)
This session recording from the IBA Annual Conference 2014 focuses on the challenges faced by young lawyers in conducting pro bono work and how firms and bar associations can help. Find out more
VIDEO - Bar Association and Law Society Roles in Pro Bono Part I (1 hour 31 minutes)
This first session recording from IBA Annual Conference 2013 explains the critical role that Bar Associations and Law Societies have in ‘Raising the Bar” and developing the necessary supporting infrastructure to facilitate and nurture a sustainable pro bono culture, while ensuring pro bono provision is conducted to acceptable standards.
VIDEO - Bar Association and Law Society Roles in Pro Bono Part II (1 hour)
This second session recording from IBA Annual Conference 2013 explains the critical role that Bar Associations and Law Societies have in ‘Raising the Bar” and developing the necessary supporting infrastructure to facilitate and nurture a sustainable pro bono culture, while ensuring pro bono provision is conducted to acceptable standards.
Pro Bono Award
Each year, the IBA’s Pro Bono Committee honour a lawyer who has shown an outstanding commitment to pro bono work as part of their legal career.
The IBA Pro Bono Committee’s mission is to support the IBA in promoting pro bono work globally through implementation of the IBA Pro Bono Declaration and the exchange of information and the promotion of best practice. Pro bono work is a cornerstone of the legal profession, and the IBA Pro Bono Committee wants to help build a culture of pro bono work by lawyers, law firms and organisations of lawyers as a vehicle for access to justice where that right is not fully supported by legal aid.
LexisNexis is honoured to sponsor the IBA Pro Bono Committee Award and hopes the winner will accept the Award in person during the IBA’s Annual Conference. LexisNexis sponsorship provides a contribution of $5,500 USD to their attendance.
Previous winners
2021: Geoff Budlender
2020: Ishrat Hasan
2019: Cecil Rajendra
2018: Baasanjargal Khurelbaatar
2017: Balazs Sahin-Toth
2016: Odette Geldenhuys
2015: Marco Fuchs
2014: Nick Paul
2013: Susan Finegan
2012: Tong Lihua
2011: Flavia Regina de Souza Oliveira
2010: Angeline Welsh