Report on the Nature and Prevalence of Pro Bono Partner Roles Globally
February 2020
The report is a joint initiative of DLA Piper, the Australian Pro Bono Centre, the Pro Bono Institute in Washington DC and the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The Target At Ten Years: Final Report
June 2018
This report sets out the issues that have arisen in the course of reviewing the Target, the Centre’s
response to those issues, and the proposed changes. These changes include retitling the “National Pro Bono Aspirational Target” as the “National Pro Bono Target”, amending the definition of “pro bono legal services” to include work undertaken for social enterprises under certain conditions, and the addition of guidance notes in relation to “substantially reduced fee” work, and work for charities, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises.
Access to interpreters in pro bono legal work
February 2018 ( 22 pages – PDF 548KB)
Research and Policy Paper on the use of interpreting services in pro bono legal work and the extent to which pro bono is constrained by the cost of interpreters.
Pro bono legal services via video conferencing: Opportunities and challenges
June 2015 (22 pages – PDF 534KB)
Conference Paper presented at the National Rural Law and Justice Conference 2015 (updated version of paper The use of video conferencing technology to provide pro bono assistance to self-represented litigants in regional, rural and remote Australia, presented in 2014).
April 2014 (22 pages – PDF 645KB)
Conference Paper presented at the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration’s “Assisting Unrepresented Litigants – A Challenge for Courts and Tribunals” Conference.
October 2013 (127 pages – PDF 1.5MB)
Executive Summary (8 pages – PDF 560KB)
Research Report on the limited availability of formal pro bono legal services in family law and family violence matters in Australia. Discusses issues in relation to capacity, expertise and the level of need.
August 2013 (13 pages – PDF 300KB)
Chapter by John Corker in Poverty, Justice and the Rule of Law: the Report of the Second Phase of the International Bar Association Presidential Taskforce on the Global Financial Crisis, edited by Peter D Maynard and Neil Gold.
Pro Bono Partnerships - The State of Pro Bono Service Delivery in Australia
May 2013 (11 pages – PDF 45KB)
Speech by John Corker as part of National Law Week at Banco Court, Supreme Court of Queensland, Brisbane on 13 May 2013.
Take Care in Pushing Student Pro Bono
April 2013 (1 page – online)
Article by Professor Michael Legg and John Corker published in The Australian [this version requires subscription] on 26 April 2013.
Government Lawyers and Pro Bono Legal Work
July 2012 (13 pages – PDF 215KB)
Paper that explores the reasons for the slow uptake of pro bono by government lawyers and suggests actions that government agencies, departments and authorities, and individual lawyers within them, can take to play a greater part in the professional society of pro bono lawyers in Australia. Presented at the Public Sector In-House Counsel Conference 2012 in Canberra.
Alternative Dispute Resolution - Assisting People Experiencing Disadvantage: Final Paper
June 2012 (87 pages – PDF 1.45MB)
Research Paper exploring the issues impacting on pro bono lawyers assisting parties participating in ADR processes, drawing on submissions received in response to the release of a discussion paper in October 2011 (see below).
Now is the time for in-house lawyers to get involved
May 2012 (5 pages – PDF 101KB)
Speech by John Corker at “A New Chapter for Pro Bono In Victoria,” an event hosted by the Centre and PILCH (VIC) at DLA Piper’s Melbourne office on 31 May 2012.
A Review of Parramatta City Council’s Social Enterprise Pro Bono Legal Panel
November 2011 (14 pages – PDF 164 KB)
Report on the review of Parramatta City Council’s Social Enterprise Pro Bono Legal Panel. The review was conducted by the Centre after the first 12 months of the panel’s operation, and identifies issues relevant to the delivery of pro bono legal services to social enterprises, particularly in the start-up phase.
Occasional Paper #1: What is Social Justice
October 2011 (24 pages – PDF 1.54MB)
The first in an occasional series, this paper aims to promote an understanding of the concept of ‘social justice’ by examining it both in a historical and current policy context, and identifying the key themes which are emphasised by different views on what social justice means.
Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Possible Role of Pro Bono Lawyers: Discussion Paper
October 2011 (29 pages – PDF 814KB)
Discussion paper exploring the role that pro bono lawyers might play to assist in the ADR process, as presented by Leanne Ho at the National Association of Community Legal Centres Conference in Hobart, October 2011. A Research Paper on this topic was produced in June 2012 (see above).
Social Justice Opportunities - A Career Guide for Law Students and New Lawyers
August 2011 (20 pages – PDF 2.29MB)
Guide to finding volunteer opportunities and employment in the social justice sector. The accompanying website, which includes listings of current employment and volunteering opportunities, is located at www.sjopps.net.au.
More information on Social Justice Opportunities can be found on our Social Justice Opportunities page.
What characterises a leading pro bono firm in Australia in 2011?
August 2011 (1 page – PDF 61 KB)
List of defining characteristics of Australian firms with leading pro bono practices, produced for an article in National Pro Bono News (August 2011).
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Planning for the Legal Profession in Australia
June 2011 (32 pages – PDF 402KB)
Resource to assist the Australian legal profession in each State and Territory to prepare a disaster response plan in readiness for any disasters occurring in their jurisdiction, consisting of a research paper and a guide to preparation of a disaster plan.
Report by John Corker on UK National Pro Bono Week and the European Pro Bono Forum
November 2010 (9 pages – PDF 302KB)
Report by the Centre’s Director on the state of pro bono in Europe in general and the United Kingdom in particular.
Stories of Pro Bono Alleviating Poverty - Anti-Poverty Week 2010
October 2010 (9 pages – PDF 125KB)
A set of 12 stories demonstrating how pro bono legal services have helped alleviate poverty, to celebrate the launch of Anti-Poverty Week 2010.
Access to Justice - International Pro Bono Legal Assistance
June 2010 (12 pages – PDF 164KB)
Paper on the increase in international pro bono legal assistance provided by law firms around the world, as presented by John Corker at the Meeting of Senior Officials of Commonwealth Law Ministries in London, October 2010.
The Case for Law Firm Involvement in Pro Bono
April 2010 (2 pages – DOCX 34 KB)
Paper on the business case for law firm involvement in pro bono, by John Corker. Draws from local cost/benefit analyses and the long US experience.
Pro Bono in Australia - An Introduction for Practical Legal Training students
March 2010 (37 pages – PDF 644KB)
Introductory guide to pro bono legal services in Australia, including information on who provides these services and how the are delivered, prepared for the use of students in Practical Legal Training.
Engaging Retired and Career-Break Lawyers in Pro Bono
February 2010 (62 pages – PDF 403KB)
Research report that investigates if, and how, retired and career-break lawyers could be encouraged to become involved in pro bono legal work.
October 2009 (152 pages – PDF 2.48MB)
Guide prepared for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) on pro bono legal services available in Australia. Includes directory.
Pro Bono Practices Guide - A National Guide to the Pro Bono Practices of 30 Australian Law Firms
July 2009 (142 pages – PDF 1.59MB)
Guide to the pro bono programs of 30 of Australia’s largest law firms, for the use of students and other potential applicants when considering a career. Published in conjunction with NSW Young Lawyers.
Launch of National Pro Bono PI Insurance Scheme
June 2009 (3 pages – DOC 37KB)
Notes for speech by John Corker at the launch of Pro Bono PI Insurance Scheme.
Pro Bono at Work: Report on the Pro Bono Legal Work of 25 Large Australian Law Firms
February 2009 (6 pages – PDF 102KB)
Article for Legal Ethics on the topic of pro bono work in the Australian legal profession, drawing from the Centre’s Report on the Pro Bono Legal Work of 25 Large Australian Law Firms (September 2008 – see below).
Engaging Retiring and Career Break Lawyers in pro bono legal work: Discussion Paper
February 2009 (20 pages – PDF 207KB)
Discussion Paper prepared for the purpose of providing background for a series of roundtable discussion forums held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in February/March 2009 as part of a research project conducted by the Centre.
Student Experiential Learning in a Social Justice Context
November 2008 (2 pages – DOC 101KB)
Speech given by John Corker to a Community Engagement Forum held at Bond University in Nov 2008. This paper is also published in “Community Engagement in Contemporary Legal Education: pro bono, clinical legal education and service-learning,” edited by Patrick Keyzer, Amy Kenworthy and Gail Wilson, Halstead Press 2009.
Report on the pro bono legal work of individual Australian Barristers
November 2008 (71 pages – PDF 851KB)
Survey Report on the pro bono legal work undertaken by barristers in Australia. 355 barristers were surveyed between December 2007 and June 2008 in relation to the work they had undertaken in the previous 12 months.
- Appendix 1 – State Report Victoria (47 pages – PDF 722KB)
- Appendix 2 – State Report Queensland (32 pages – PDF 457KB)
- Appendix 3 – State Report New South Wales (29 pages – PDF 418KB)
- Appendix 4 – State Report Australian Capital Territory (12 pages – PDF 314KB)
- Appendix 5 – State Report Northern Territory (11 pages – PDF 303KB)
- Appendix 6 – State Report South Australia (14 pages – PDF 326KB)
- Appendix 7 – State Report Tasmania (11 pages – PDF 309KB)
- Appendix 8 – State Report Western Australia (14 pages – PDF 329KB)
Report on the pro bono legal work of 25 large Australian law firms
September 2008 (58 pages – PDF 463KB)
Survey Report on the state of pro bono in 25 large Australian law firms. Firms were surveyed in May 2008 in relation to the work undertaken in the previous 12 months. Surveys of Australian firms with more than 50 lawyers have since been undertaken every 2 years.
More information on the Survey, including copies of all Survey Reports, can be found on our National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey page.
Report on the Survey of the Victorian Government Legal Services Panel Members
June 2008 (4 pages – PDF 196KB)
Report summarises responses to the survey of the Victorian Government Legal Services panel members in relation to the ‘pro bono condition’ in the panel arrangements. The report was prepared in April 2008 and made publicly available in June 2008. Related documents include:
- Summary of the Victorian Government Legal Services Panel Arrangements (5 pages – PDF 223KB)
- Questionnaire for Victorian Government legal Services Panel Members (2 pages – PDF 151KB)
- Proposed Model for the Reform of Commonwealth Government Legal Services Purchasing (5 pages – PDF 184KB)
Pro Bono Practices - A Guide to the Pro Bono Practices of NSW’s Largest Law Firms
January 2008 (92 pages – PDF 2.72MB)
Guide to the pro bono programs of 22 of New South Wales’ largest law firms, for the use of students and other potential applicants when considering a career. Published in conjunction with NSW Young Lawyers.
An impression of UK National Pro Bono Week 2007
December 2007 (15 pages – PDF 492KB)
Account of the state of the legal assistance sector in the UK during November 2007 as described by John Corker, Director of the National Pro Bono Resource Centre (with photos).
December 2007 (5 pages – PDF 81KB)
Speech by John Corker at the launch of Pro Bono Practices – A Guide to the Pro Bono Practices of NSW’S Largest Law Firms.
National Survey - Report on the pro bono legal work of individual Australian Solicitors
December 2007 (99 pages – PDF 596KB)
Survey Report on the pro bono legal work undertaken by individual solicitors in Australia. 887 solicitors were surveyed in 2006 and 2007 in relation to the work they had undertaken in the previous 12 months.
- Appendix III – Responses to survey questions: Queensland (33 pages – PDF 170KB)
- Appendix IV – Responses to survey questions: NSW (33 pages – PDF 176KB)
- Appendix V – Responses to survey questions: Victoria (33 pages – PDF 174KB)
- Appendix VI – Responses to survey questions: WA, SA, NT, ACT and Tas combined (34 pages – PDF 179KB)
June 2007 (135 pages – PDF 2MB)
Report that provides a snapshot of the Australian pro bono landscape as at the beginning of 2007. It is also intended to highlight areas of interest and concern and to stimulate further discussion about how pro bono can be resourced, directed and supported to provide better access to justice for disadvantaged Australians.
Meeting the legal needs of older persons: Background Paper
May 2007 (6 pages – PDF 149KB)
Background Paper prepared for a roundtable meeting to discuss the legal needs of older persons convened by the Centre in Sydney on 2 May 2007.
Pro Bono Schemes: Is Tasmania Ready for One?
February 2007 (10 pages – PDF 153KB)
Address at the opening of the Tasmanian Legal Year by John Corker.
The NPBRC’s aspirational pro bono target
January 2007 (2 pages – PDF 161KB)
Brochure prepared for the National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference 2006. It foreshadows a voluntary aspirational pro bono target to start on 1 January 2007.
Funding litigation: the challenge
September 2006 (12 pages – PDF 326KB)
Paper identifies barriers to pro bono assisting with litigation, covers such issues as court pro bono referral schemes and litigants in person and suggests ways to move forward with the issues. John Corker, the Centre’s director, presented this paper to the 24th Australian Institute of Judicial Administration Conference 2006.
Pro bono work undertaken by members of the Law Society of Queensland March-May 2006: Survey Report
August 2006 (10 pages – PDF 127KB)
Preliminary Report of survey data from the National Survey prepared for the National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference 2006.
Pro bono referral schemes in Australia: A history of professional association & law firm schemes
May 2006 (51 pages – PDF 681KB)
Publication that details the establishment and operation of 10 professional association and law firm pro bono referral schemes in Australia.
Regional, rural and remote pro bono: models and opportunities
May 2006 (45 pages – PDF 688KB)
Information Paper that provides information and ideas to encourage the creation, uptake and expansion of pro bono work across regional, rural and remote (RRR) Australia. In particular, it focuses on providing pro bono legal assistance to disadvantaged communities by working in partnerships with community legal organisations in RRR areas.
Tips on successfully pitching new pro bono projects
March 2006 (2 pages – PDF 65KB)
Notes, prepared at the 2006 US Pro Bono Institute (PBI) Annual Seminar held in Washington DC from 2-4 March 2006, which outlines tips from a law firm, a community organisation and the director of the PBI, Esther Lardent on how to pitch a new pro bono project to a law firm or in-house legal team. Whilst the US pro bono environment is more developed than it is Australia with a range of ‘signature projects’ that exist there, these basic tips are still highly relevant to the development of new pro bono projects in Australia.
How does pro bono fit with clinical legal education in Australia?
July 2005 (10 pages – PDF 326KB)
Paper on the Pro Bono Students Australia (PBSA) program, which was designed to place law students to do law-related work in a broad range of community organisations that are involved in the delivery of services to the disadvantaged in our community. The Centre established PBSA in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney based upon the successful Canadian model. This paper, presented at 8th Australian Clinical Legal Education Conference, discusses how Clinical Legal Education and pro bono can be complementary concepts within law schools.
The Australian Pro Bono Manual - A Practice Guide and Resource Kit for Law Firms (2nd ed)
May 2005 (online – also available in hard copy form (264 pages)
‘How-to’ Handbook for law firms that provides detailed practical advice to law firms and legal practitioners on topics ranging from promoting a pro bono culture within a firm to budgeting, accounting, taxation and record keeping, through a mixture of commentary, advice, precedents and background information. The Manual aims to assist law firms wishing to establish, develop or expand their pro bono practices. It will also be of value to individuals who are seeking resources and ideas about pro bono.
The Australian Pro Bono Manual is subject to copyright. With the exception of section 4.7 “Advising and acting for Indigenous Clients” for which specific permission is required from the copyright holder, reproduction in whole or in part is encouraged.
Launch of the best practice pro bono sessions
February 2005 (5 pages – PDF 142KB)
Speech by John Corker at the launch of the best practice pro bono sessions at the Law Society of New South Wales.
Government lawyers and pro bono
October 2004 (23 pages – PDF 361 KB)
Resource for governments and government lawyers that addresses barriers to government lawyer pro bono activities and describes initiatives in USA, Canada and England and Wales.
September 2004 (7 pages – PDF 64KB)
Paper presented by John Corker at the National Museum of Canberra regarding Australian lawyers, social change and access to justice.
Pro bono & clinical legal education programs in Australian law schools
August 2004 (25 pages – PDF 292KB)
Paper for law schools and law students that addresses the issues to be faced in establishing pro bono programs at law schools. This resource details all clinical legal education and pro bono programs at each of the 28 Australian law schools as at August 2004.
Law reform and community legal education
November 2003 (2 pages – PDF 52KB)
Article (published in the Victorian Law Institute Journal, November 2003) on ways in which pro bono law reform and community legal education schemes can benefit disadvantaged client groups.
July 2003 (2 pages – PDF 60KB)
Article (published in the NSW Law Society Journal, July 2003) as part of a series addressing the issue of ‘unbundling’ legal services. Titled “Pro bono opportunity in discrete task assistance”, the article from NPBRC advocates discrete task assistance as an essential tool for pro bono and publicly funded lawyers to extend access to justice.
June 2003 (16 pages – PDF 260KB)
The growth of pro bono in the last decade has included the development of ‘multi-tiered relationships’ between law firms and pro bono partners in the community, particularly community legal centres. This Paper explains what multi-tiered relationships might involve and demonstrates their operation through a variety of case studies.
Conflicts protocol for Commonwealth agencies
May 2003 (1 page – PDF 24KB)
Pro bono, conflicts and Government
March 2003 (4 pages – PDF 166KB)
Consultation Paper proposing that Governments in Australia adopt a Protocol aimed at minimising reluctance of law firms and private lawyers to provide pro bono legal services in matters against government agencies due to the perception that this will prejudice them in securing or retaining government legal work. Includes draft protocol for comment.
Legal services: ‘for the public good’
February 2003 (5 pages – PDF 588KB)
Article in the Alternative Law Journal describing some aspects of current pro bono practice in Australia, the role of the private and public sectors, the benefit of forging links between pro bono service providers, publicly funded legal service providers and community organisations and the objectives of the National Pro Bono Resource Centre.
International protocols
A number of jurisdictions have developed protocols and statements of principle in relation to pro bono legal work that have supported its development.
Some of these are linked below
- (1983) – American Bar Association Rule 6.1 Voluntary Pro Bono Publico Service (contains an aspirational target of at least 50 hours per lawyer)
- (1993) – US Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Challenge.
The Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge is a global aspirational pro bono standard. Developed by law firm leaders and corporate general counsel, the Challenge articulates a single, unitary standard for one key segment of the legal profession – the world’s largest law firms. Major law firms that become signatories to the Challenge acknowledge their institutional, firm-wide commitment to provide pro bono legal services to low income and disadvantaged individuals and families and non-profit groups. - (2006) – American Bar Association Pro Bono Resolution
At the 2006 Annual Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates adopted a resolution which, in part, urges government attorneys to serve their communities through pro bono and public service activities consistent with applicable rules of professional conduct. The resolution encourages government agencies to adopt written pro bono policies and procedures that include a definition of pro bono, sets forth case approval and conflicts checking procedures and addresses use of office resources. Other suggestions include designating a pro bono coordinator or committee, identifying and addressing any regulatory impediments to pro bono participation, and development of recognition programs. - (2006) – UK Pro Bono Protocol
The Joint UK Protocol for Pro Bono Legal Work was developed jointly by the Bar Pro Bono Unit and Law Works. The Protocol ‘sets out core values of pro bono legal work to assist both those who undertake it and their clients’. The protocol was officially launched and signed by major UK pro bono providers and supporters including the Bar Council, the Bar Pro Bono Unit, sets of Chambers, law firms and law schools. - (2007) – Australian Statement of Principles
Developed by the Centre in consultation with the Australian pro bono sector, it contains the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target of at least 35 hours per lawyer per year. - (2008) – Pro Bono Declaration for the Americas
Prepared by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice at the New York Bar, it contains an aspirational target of at least 20 hours per lawyer within three years. - (2008) – UK Attorney General’s Pro Bono Declaration: A statement of principles for International Pro Bono Legal Work
This declaration of the UK Attorney General in March 2009 sets out ‘core principles’ for pro bono legal work which is directed overseas. It has been endorsed by the Bar Council, the International Bar Association, Law Society of England and Wales and the Institute of Legal Executives. To read the Declaration, please click here. - (2014) – Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono in the UK
The Plan is a profession-led initiative in which participating law firms share a collective belief that pro bono is a professional responsibility for all lawyers. The Plan facilitates collaboration between firms to develop systems and infrastructure to allow pro bono services to be effectively delivered to address unmet legal need in the UK. The Plan also incorporates an aspirational target of 25 pro bono hours on average per fee-earner per year. TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service that connects NGOs with law firm, publishes participants’ performance on an anonymous basis.
Other countries such as Poland, Israel, South Africa, Nigeria have made pro bono declarations and/or prepared voluntary protocols. Links to some of these can be found on the IBA pro bono website. More information on international pro bono in general can be found in International Pro Bono.
You can also find a comparison of various overseas protocols in:
- Reconsidering pro bono: A comparative analysis of protocols in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore, Maguire, Rowena; Shearer, Gail and Field, Rachael, University of New South Wales Law Journal, Vol. 37, No. 3, 2014: 1164-1197
More information and resources
- Pro Bono Case Law: examples of Australian case law and judgments that relate specifically to pro bono
- Recovery of Costs: page specifically focused on the issue of recovery of costs in pro bono litigation
- Corporate Social Responsibility: information on the relationship between pro bono and Corporate Social Responsibility
- Past Conference Papers: from the biennial National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference