Lawyers provided more than £400m worth of pro bono legal advice last year as recession swept the UK.
The estimated value of pro bono work undertaken by solicitors, based on the number of chargeable hours, has soared nearly 18% to £339m from £338m in 2007, according to the latest Law Society Firms Omnibus survey.
This figure does not include the significant contribution made by barristers, in-house solicitors and legal executives.
The eighth annual Pro Bono Week (9-13 November 2009) kicked off with the Joint National Pro Bono Conference, which was addressed by legal aid minister Lord Bach and Lord Goldsmith QC. More than 100 activities were due to take place throughout the week, ranging from staff roadshows to fund-raising quiz nights.
The College of Law launched three telephone advice lines during the week to offer free guidance on employment rights to people who might not otherwise be able to afford legal advice.
Lindsay Ward, senior pro bono co-ordinator at the College, says: “These schemes allow students to get experience in dealing with real cases and also help the local community.”
Desmond Browne QC, chair of the Bar Council, says: “The Bar Pro Bono Unit, the Free Representation Unit, and all those who give their time and expertise for free to those who need it most, are an incredibly important part of the Bar’s contribution to the community.
“Cases such as that featuring Val Compton, a retired physiotherapist who fought, on behalf of her community, against the closure of large parts of her local hospital, are typical of the work carried out on a pro bono basis. Four lawyers worked pro bono on this case over the course of two years, spending more than 180 days on a cause which was of huge importance to the community.”
Robert Heslett, Law Society president, says: “It must be remembered that pro bono is not a replacement for a legal aid system adequately funded by government.”
