Please see below for a selection of the Australian Pro Bono Centre’s announcements and media releases.
The Centre also provides stories of interest to the Australian pro bono community, including articles on new pro bono initiatives, examples of best practice, profiles of key practitioners and successful pro bono partnerships, new resources, and emerging research. Read more here.
The Centre launched its new publication, Weekly Round-Up of Pro Bono in the News, in April 2019. Each week the Centre distributes some of the top news stories relating to pro bono legal work and access to justice.
The archive for issues for the Centre’s publication Australian Pro Bono News can be found here.
Note that the Centre changed its name from the ‘National Pro Bono Resource Centre’ to the ‘Australian Pro Bono Centre’ in June 2015 (for more information see Name and visual identity). For further information on any of these stories please contact the Centre.
2020
- New report reveals a significant increase in pro bono partners
25 February 2020
2019
- Record number of pro bono hours recorded
19 September 2019 - Commonwealth continues to encourage firms to undertake pro bono legal work through new Whole-of-Government Legal Services Panel
20 August 2019 - Australian Pro Bono Centre appoints new CEO
20 May 2019 - Survey shows consolidation of law firm pro bono programs
15 February 2019
2018
- Experts to team up with pro bono lawyers
12 November 2018 - Pro bono on target but hours down
11 October 2018 - Review of community legal centres recognises importance of resourcing to leverage pro bono support
1 August 2018 - National Pro Bono Target Remains at 35 Hours Per Lawyer Per Annum But Now Includes Work for Social Enterprises: Changes to apply from 1 July 2018
27 June 2018
2017
- Celebrating 2.86 Million Hours of Pro Bono Legal Work
27 September 2017 - Pro Bono Centre Applauds Pro Bono Lawyers
29 August 2017 - New Guide to Drive Pro Bono Work By In-House Lawyers
8 August 2017 - Australian Pro Bono Centre Launches New Guide to Support Lawyers
20 June 2017 - National Pro Bono Day Will Recognise The Diverse Pro Bono Contributions of Australian Lawyers
12 May 2017 - Unmet Legal Need of Asylum Seekers Driving Pro Bono Growth
21 March 2017
2016
- The Centre’s Annual Report 2015-2016 now available
23 November 2016
- New editions of the Manual and What Works launched
26 October 2016
- Lawyers reach pro bono Target for first time in 5 years
10 October 2016
- Centre says that Legal Aid Matters
17 June 2016
- What is Best Practice in Pro Bono?
5 May 2016
- A Tribute to Esther Lardent 1948 – 2016
8 April 2016
2015
- Mid Size Firms Lead Pro Bono Growth
(Eighth Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
2 October 2015
- Pro Bono Legal Services and Sustainability Reporting
29 April 2015 (joint media release with Australian Legal Sector Alliance)
2014
- National Survey Final Report Shows Pro Bono Growth But Reveals Warning Signs
(Fourth National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey: Final Report)
11 December 2014
- National Target Captures Large Law Firm Pro Bono Performance
(Fourth National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey: Interim Report & Seventh Performance Report on the Aspirational Target)
2 October 2014
2013
- Legal Pro Bono Contribution Steady
(Sixth Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
9 October 2013
- Specialist family law practitioners play a vital role in providing free and low cost services
4 October 2013
- Majority of pro bono legal work by law firms is done for organisations
(National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey: Final Report)
25 January 2013
2012
- Firm commitment to pro bono remains steadfast in times of uncertainty
(National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey 2012: Interim Report)
4 October 2012
2011
- Pro Bono Contribution Steady
(Fourth Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
5 October 2011
- Report Calls for Increased Role of Legal Community in Disaster Planning
23 August 2011 (joint media release with the Law Council of Australia)
- Law Students Want More Social Justice Opportunities
13 May 2011 (joint media release with the Australian Law Students Association)
2010
- Survey of Large Law Firms Highlights Areas of Unmet Legal Need
9 December 2010
- Stories of Pro Bono Alleviating Poverty
15 October 2010
- Downturn No Deterrent to Firms Acting Pro Bono
25 August 2010
- National Pro Bono Day 2010
20 April 2010
2009
- Centre Misquoted in Senate Access to Justice Report
9 December 2009
- Lawyers Aspiring to Do More
(Second Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
1 October 2009
- New National Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs
3 August 2009
- Pro Bono Set to Increase Under New LawCover Insurance Scheme
15 May 2009 (joint media release with DLA Phillips Fox and LawCover Insurance)
2008
- Barristers Would Rather Do It For Free
6 November 2008
- $48.5m Pro Bono by Top 25 Australian Law Firms
10 September 2008
- Lawyers Walk for Justice
14 May 2008
- $250 Million Pro Bono by Australian Solicitors
19 February 2008
2007
- Legal Volunteers Vital to Community Legal Centre Service Delivery
6 September 2007
- Mapping Pro Bono Research Released
28 June 2007
- National Pro Bono Aspirational Target launched
26 April 2007
pre-2007
- Pro Bono Aspirational Targets
3 November 2006
- Pro Bono Survey Coming to Town
16 August 2006
- National Website for Volunteering at Community Legal Centres
9 October 2005 (joint media release with the National Association of Community Legal Centres)
- National Pro Bono Resource Centre – New Director, New Directions
10 February 2004
- Pro Bono First (Australian Pro Bono Manual, 1st ed)
November 2003