Statement of Principles
These Statements of Principles for the National Pro Bono Target were developed by the Australian Pro Bono Centre (formerly the National Pro Bono Resource Centre) in 2006 and incorporate, in part, language developed by the US Pro Bono Institute and utilised in its Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®.*
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target please read the Principles applicable to you and then click on ‘I AGREE’:
- Law Firms
- Incorporated Legal Practices
- Individual Law Firm Solicitors
- Individual Barristers
- Barristers’ Chambers
- In-house Legal Teams
- Individual In-house Lawyers
*That language is used with the specific permission of the Institute and cannot be further utilised, copied, disseminated, or adapted, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from the Institute. To request permission please contact the Institute at probono@probonoinst.org.
Statement of Principles: for Law Firms
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services,
OUR FIRM is pleased to join with other firms across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging our best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- Our firm recognises its professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
- In furtherance of that obligation, our firm agrees to encourage and support the provision of pro bono legal services by all its lawyers.
- We agree to use our best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each year, our firm’s lawyers will undertake an average of a minimum of 35 hours of pro bono legal services each year per lawyer.
- In furtherance of these principles, our firm also agrees:
- to provide training and supervision as required to enable our lawyers to meet the need for pro bono legal services in the community in matters undertaken by our firm and;
- to monitor the firm’s progress towards the targets established in this statement and to report its progress annually to the partners and staff of the firm and to the Australian Pro Bono Centre.
- We acknowledge that when a lawyer provides pro bono legal services, he or she owes the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to any paying client and accordingly the lawyer must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to paid work.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (Law Firm) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to:
Statement of Principles: for Incorporated Legal Practices
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services.
OUR LAW PRACTICE is pleased to join with other practices and practices across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging our best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- Our practice recognises its professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
- In furtherance of that obligation, our practice agrees to encourage and support the provision of pro bono legal services by all its lawyers.
- We agree to use our best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each year, our practice’s lawyers will undertake an average of a minimum of 35 hours of pro bono legal services each year per lawyer.
- In furtherance of these principles, our practice also agrees:
- to provide training and supervision as required to enable our lawyers to meet the need for pro bono legal services in the community in matters undertaken by our practice and
- to monitor the practice’s progress towards the targets established in this statement and to report its progress annually to the partners and staff of the practice and to the Australian Pro Bono Centre.
- We acknowledge that when a lawyer provides pro bono legal services, he or she owes the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to any paying client and accordingly the lawyer must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to paid work.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (Incorporated Legal Practice) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to:
Statement of Principles: for Individual Solicitors
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services:
I am pleased to join with other lawyers across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging my best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- I recognise my professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
I agree to use my best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each financial year, I will undertake a minimum of 35 hours of pro bono legal services each year. - In furtherance of these principles, I also agree to monitor my progress towards the target established in this statement and to report annually to the Australian Pro Bono Centre (the Centre) whether I have met the Target in the previous year.
- I acknowledge that when I provide pro bono legal services, I owe the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to any paying client and accordingly I must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to paid work.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (Solicitor) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to:
Statement of Principles: for Individual Barristers
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services:
I am pleased to join with other lawyers across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging my best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- I recognise my professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
I agree to use my best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each financial year, I will undertake a minimum of 35 hours of pro bono legal services each year. - In furtherance of these principles, I also agree to monitor my progress towards the target established in this statement and to report annually to the Australian Pro Bono Centre (the Centre) whether I have met the Target in the previous year.
- I acknowledge that when I provide pro bono legal services, I owe the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to any paying client and accordingly I must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to paid work.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (Barrister) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to:
Statement of Principles: for Barristers’ Chambers
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services:
The members of OUR CHAMBERS are pleased to join with other lawyers across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging our best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- The members of our chambers recognise their professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
- We agree to use our best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each year, our chambers’ members will undertake an average of a minimum of 35 hours of pro bono legal services each year per member.
- In furtherance of these principles, our chambers also agrees to monitor its member’s progress towards the targets established in this statement and to report its progress annually to the members of the chambers and to the Australian Pro Bono Centre.
- We acknowledge that when a barrister provides pro bono legal services, he or she owes the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to any paying client and accordingly the barrister must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to paid work.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (Barristers’ Chambers) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to:
Statement of Principles: for In-house Legal Teams
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services,
OUR IN-HOUSE LEGAL TEAM is pleased to join with other in-house legal teams across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging our best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- Our in-house legal team recognises its professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
- In furtherance of that obligation, our in-house legal team agrees to encourage and support the provision of pro bono legal services by all its in-house lawyers.
- We agree to use our best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each year, our in-house legal team’s lawyers will undertake an average of a minimum of 20 hours of pro bono legal services each year per in-house lawyer.
- In furtherance of these principles, our in-house legal team also agrees:
- to provide training and supervision as required to enable our in-house lawyers to meet the need for pro bono legal services in the community in matters undertaken by our in-house legal team and;
- to monitor the in-house legal team’s progress towards the targets established in this statement and to report its progress annually to the organisation’s senior leadership and to the Australian Pro Bono Centre.
- We acknowledge that when an in-house lawyer provides pro bono legal services, he or she owes the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to other legal work carried out by the in-house legal team and accordingly the in-house lawyer must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to other legal work carried out by the in-house legal team.
- In support of the promotion of pro bono legal service, we will encourage all law firms with whom we work to subscribe to and use their best efforts to achieve the National Pro Bono Target for law firms.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (In-house Legal Teams) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to:
Statement of Principles: for Individual In-house Lawyers
MINDFUL of the professional responsibility of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to address the unmet legal needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the communities in which we live, and
RECOGNISING that pro bono is not a substitute for the proper funding by government of Legal Aid agencies, Community Legal Centres and other government funded legal services:
I am pleased to join with other lawyers across the country in subscribing to the following statement of principles and in pledging my best efforts to achieve the voluntary target described below.
- I recognise my professional obligation to provide pro bono legal services.
I agree to use my best efforts to ensure that, by no later than 30 June in each financial year, I will undertake a minimum of 20 hours of pro bono legal services each year. - In furtherance of these principles, I also agree to monitor my progress towards the target established in this statement and to report annually to the Australian Pro Bono Centre (the Centre) whether I have met the Target in the previous year.
- I acknowledge that when I provide pro bono legal services, I owe the pro bono client the same professional and ethical obligations that are owed to other legal work and accordingly I must give that work the same priority, attention and care as would apply to other legal work.
To sign up to the National Pro Bono Target click on:
You can download a copy of this Statement of Principles (Individual In-house Lawyers) here.
For more information on the National Pro Bono Target, please contact the Centre or refer to: