In 2004 I remember the launch of Pro Bono Week with a double-decker bus parked in Trafalgar Square, decked out in readiness to tour the country offering pro bono advice sessions. More than 20 years later, there is no bus in sight, but the 2025 Pro Bono Week has seen the Advocate team busy with events up and down the country. Events have ranged from the Young Lawyers Event with the Solicitor General to the Greater Manchester Pro Bono Awards, as well as chambers’ seminars and our first ever Advocate Comedy Night.
At the Pro Bono Week launch event, the Attorney General Lord Hermer KC kicked off this year’s theme of 'pro bono in action', describing pro bono as the “lifeblood” of the legal system. As the Bar’s pro bono charity, we are privileged to witness pro bono in action every day. Whether representing a parent in a family court, supporting a worker in an employment dispute, or guiding someone through complex tribunal proceedings, barristers are stepping up to provide advice and representation. These are not headline cases, but they matter deeply to the people involved. And as self-employed practitioners when they take on a pro bono case, barristers are not just giving time, they are often sacrificing income too. I have never stopped being motivated by the moment someone who has lost all other hope learns a barrister has volunteered to help so they will not have to face court alone.
Last year, through our core casework service, we supported around 1,500 matters plus hundreds more via our on-the-day duty schemes. Public demand continues to grow, and the most urgent needs come in family and employment law, which combined account for 50% of our cases. Nonetheless, we continue to be bowled over by the Bar’s response. According to the Barristers' Working Lives survey conducted in 2023, 49% of barristers reported having done pro bono work that year. In areas of highest need, the numbers are even more striking: 53% of family barristers and 74% of employment barristers provided pro bono assistance last year.
These figures reflect a profession that cares deeply about ensuring justice is not just a privilege for the few. Any of us could find ourselves needing legal help in circumstances we never expected. When that happens, some will qualify for legal aid, some can pay, but many cannot. It is those people we exist to support, and it is those people the Bar steps up to help. It is a sign of their commitment, come what may, to the public and the public interest.
There is a part in this that every barrister can play, at every stage of their career. At our 'Young lawyers event' on Tuesday, the Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP urged young barristers and solicitors to see pro bono work as a way to help shape a profession that is more diverse, open and representative. And even on the most difficult days, she said: “Pro bono work will remind you of the passion that brought you here in the first place - so go out there and seize the opportunities.”
If you have never taken a pro bono case before, please consider giving it a go. Our team are keen to make it as easy as possible. We know it has to be manageable, so we have safeguards in place to make sure you are supported. We cannot place every case, and we need the Bar’s help, but we also want to make sure it works for you.
To every barrister who has taken on a pro bono case through whatever avenue – be it Advocate, a Law Centre or another pro bono scheme - thank you. This Pro Bono Week, we celebrate your dedication.