Most pro bono work done at firms by senior lawyers

updated on 21 November 2012

The Law Society has concluded, via results from its recent member survey, that the vast majority of pro bono work is done by solicitors in private practice (rather than in-house, for example) and by senior practitioners who have "more autonomy to undertake unpaid work".

The survey revealed that 40% of all solicitors with practising certificates had done an average of 47 hours each in the 12 months prior to the survey, ad that 55% had done some pro bono at some point in their career.

Law Society President Lucy Scott-Moncrieff: "It is clear that many solicitors are highly committed to providing pro bono services. However, the survey results also show that the majority of pro bono work is undertaken by senior practitioners who, as a result of their status, have more autonomy to undertake un-paid work." She recognised that trainees, too, are actively engaged in pro bono work: "We would encourage firms who support pro bono to adopt policies to recognise that, for instance by allowing a proportion of pro bono to be included in trainees’ billable hours."