Key benefits to joining us:
- Show commitment to pro bono and access to justice, and to collaborating for greater impact
- Members can attend quarterly Plan meetings which allow them to
- access new pro bono opportunities which are developed collaboratively amongst members
- discuss and solve common challenges e.g. regulatory obstacles
- access benchmark data (shared confidentially, in anonymised format)
- access professional development and learning opportunities
- access useful resources via Intralinks
For more information about our collective impact, see our latest infographic and case studies.
FAQs
What does it cost?
Membership is free. All you have to do is:
- Adopt the “aspirational target” of 25 pro bono hours (average per UK lawyer, per year)
- Send someone to quarterly Plan meetings
- Submit data each year on your pro bono practice
You can also view the in depth aspirations here (click)
But my firm is nowhere near the 25 hour target!
Don’t worry, our members cover a wide range from 2-100 hours average. Your hours will not be published nor made public, nor even shared with other Plan members other than in a de-identified format. It may take many years before you reach the target; what you are agreeing to is that you share our vision that all lawyers should do at least 25 pro bono hours per year.
But I don’t have a dedicated pro bono professional at my firm!
That’s okay, one of the aims of the Plan is to help firms which don’t yet have a dedicated pro bono professional navigate this area. Many firms send a partner or associate from their pro bono committee to Plan meetings.
Can I observe a meeting before making up my mind?
Firms actively considering membership can ask to sign up as an observer for up to 6 months. This would give you a taste of the kind of emails that are circulated within the group and to attend at least one of our quarterly meetings, before deciding whether to join. Please contact the secretariat (details below) to request observer status.
I’m from an in house legal team – can we join?
You can join the UK In House Pro Bono Working Group!
Whom do I contact about joining the Plan?
To learn more, or to have your firm join as a participant, please contact our secretariat (these are full time pro bono lawyers at member firms who have volunteered to assist with the administration of the network) :