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26 September 2025
Issue: 8132 / Categories: Legal News , Pro Bono , Profession , Training & education , Career focus , Charities
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NLJ this week: Pro bono power without the red tape

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Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ

Projects like University House’s Housing Disrepair scheme show how City lawyers, guided by training and supervision, can help tenants stuck in dangerous homes. From drafting letters to managing client relationships, commercial lawyers are proving that the basics of lawyering can secure repairs, improve housing and rebuild lives.

Volunteers report unexpected lessons in client care, particularly when working across language and cultural barriers. Rossetto stresses that the impact is immediate for clients, but also transformative for practitioners, boosting perspective and purpose.

With more than 32 firms already engaged, the model demonstrates how pro bono work extends capacity, strengthens communities and gives lawyers a chance to use their skills where they matter most.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Anthony Collins—20 promotions

Anthony Collins—20 promotions

20 promotions mark major people investment at national law firm, Anthony Collins

Sidley—Elaine Whiteford

Sidley—Elaine Whiteford

Sidley adds competition litigator Elaine Whiteford in London

Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa

Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa

Charles Russell Speechlys welcomes Claudina D’Costa as Director of Client Development Marketing

NEWS
The 25th Pro Bono Week begins today until 6 November, with events hosted by law firms, chambers, law schools and charities across the UK
Pro bono is celebrating a silver anniversary, with initiatives putting businesses and students at the heart of access to justice
Choosing the wrong expert can cost a clinical negligence claimant more than their case
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
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