Competition: Free places on the LPC and GDL up for grabs
Struggling to scrape together the pennies to fund the LPC or GDL? Then enter the Lawyer 2B/BPP essay competition. More »
Featured Blog: What would Obama do?
One of the greatest challenges faced by any trainee is the shift from being a university ‘lad/ette’ to consummate professional. One of the best ways to embark on the path towards a professional persona is to avoid writing blogs. More »
Pro Bono
Pro bono is the Latin phrase used to refer to free legal advice – it is short for pro bono publico, which translates as ‘for the public good’. Pro bono work sees lawyers give free legal assistance to those who are ineligible for legal aid, but who are unable to afford legal fees.At a student level pro bono is an excellent way to get involved in some real-life lawyering. Pro bono work can be as high profile as the case undertaken by Imran Khan, who advised the Lawrence family in pursuit of justice for the murder of their son Stephen, or as simple as giving someone advice on how to set up a small business.
Only fully qualified lawyers are allowed to advise on a pro bono basis, but students can also get involved under suitable supervision. When it takes place in a law school setting it is sometimes referred to as ‘clinical work’ or ‘clinical legal education’.
For many students the chance to help solve real people’s legal problems is an attractive proposition, especially as it could be some years before they actually come face-to-face with a real client; pro bono can also help students see how law applies in real-life situations. Another advantage is that it offers the chance to get some CV-enhancing experience.
Law firms and students can also become involved in non-legal pro bono work, sometimes called ‘community action’. This is basically anything to do with being a volunteer, such as taking reading classes at a school, coaching homeless people in life skills, or useful physical pursuits, such as clearing derelict land or gardening.
If you want Lawyer2B.com to write about some of the pro bono activities that your law school/law firm is participating in then why don’t you get in touch?
Related Articles:
Trainees donate text books to African students
Trainee solicitors at Brachers have donated their old legal textbooks to law students in Africa in a bid to help them pass their exams. More »
Plymouth uni launches Innocence Project
Law students at the University of Plymouth could find themselves face-to-face with convicted murderers as part of a new Innocence Project being run in collaboration south west law firm Foot Anstey. More »
BVC graduate wins pro bono prize for prison work
Prisoners are now being warned about the dangers of cloaking their criminal past from future employers thanks to a would-be barrister’s award winning pro bono project. More »
School's out
This summer I was one of fifteen students from Durham University who spent ten weeks living and working in a village in Sri Lanka. Project Sri Lanka, organised by DUCK (Durham University Charities Kommittee), came about as a result of the devastation caused by the tsunami in December 2004. More »
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