The 11th Annual Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Target (2018)

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The 11th October 2018 marks the release of the 11th Annual Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Target.

The report shows that in the 2017-2018 financial year (FY2018) 12,051 Australian lawyers provided a total of 414,843 hours of pro bono legal services, 1.3% less than the 420,195 hours reported in FY2017. This equates to 230 lawyers working pro bono full-time for one year.*

Overall, in FY2018 Signatories averaged 34.79 hours per lawyer, slightly less than the Target level of 35 hours of pro bono work per lawyer, and down from 35.7 hours per lawyer in FY2017.

The results this year are mixed and the reasons for the overall lower performance are complex. In the coming months, we will be looking into these reasons in consultation with the Target cohort. Your views on factors such as the increasing competition in the legal services market, process efficiencies, a shifting focus towards client outcomes will be welcome.

It remains the case that Target Signatories continue to demonstrate a commitment to pro bono legal services and to improving access to justice for those experiencing disadvantage.

Please read the full report here.