Pro bono assistance
Bar Pro Bono Unit
The Bar Pro Bono Unit is a charity which
helps to find pro bono (free) legal assistance from volunteer
barristers.
They can assist with:
-
Advice, representation and help at mediation
-
Cases in all legal areas
-
Cases where proceedings have not yet been started, and
-
Cases in all tribunals and courts in England and Wales.
Pro bono assistance is only available to those who cannot afford
to pay and who cannot obtain public funding (Legal Aid).
Free
Representation Unit (FRU)
The Free Representation Unit (FRU) was founded in 1972
and is a registered charity. They provide legal advice, case
preparation and advocacy in tribunal cases for those who could not
otherwise obtain legal support, for want of personal means or
public funding. To provide this service they train volunteer law
students and legal professionals in the early stages of their
career in the skills required to give confident and competent
support for the rights of others. All FRU's representatives are
volunteers who are trained by FRU and work under the supervision of
their case workers.
FRU provides representation for:
-
Cases in the employment tribunals (and appeals from decisions of
the employment tribunals)
-
Social security appeals in the first-tier tribunal (and appeals
from such decisions), and
-
Criminal injury compensation cases in the first-tier tribunal
(and appeals from such decisions).