Registration for the Pro Bono Recognition List of England and Wales opened for submissions today. With a broader remit to include chartered legal executives, SRA-registered foreign lawyers, and registered European lawyers.
The Recognition List recognises lawyers’ pro bono legal work regardless of how it was undertaken, whether on an ad hoc basis or via a small or large pro bono scheme and is open to lawyers who have dedicated 25 or more hours of pro bono legal assistance in the past year. Supported by its patron The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales, Baroness Sue Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, all lawyers are invited to submit their names via the probonorecognitionlist.org.uk website before the 7th March deadline.
Law firms and corporate organisations can submit multiple lawyers are welcome to do so. Any solicitor, barrister, chartered legal executive, registered European lawyer or registered foreign lawyer is eligible if they were practising as of 31 December 2024.
The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill said:
“I strongly encourage all solicitors, barristers, chartered legal executives and registered foreign/European lawyers who have provided 25 hours or more of legal pro bono over the last year to submit their names to the Recognition List, so that their pro bono commitment can be seen alongside others in the profession”
The initiative is supported by a wide range of organisations including the Access to Justice Foundation, Advocate, A4ID, the Bar Council, CILEX, the Clinical Legal Education Organisation, the In-House Pro Bono Group, International Lawyers Project, the Law Society, the Law Officers, LawWorks, the National Pro Bono Centre and TrustLaw.
One example of legal pro bono is the Centrepoint Connect clinic, supported by Goldman Sach and Herbert Smith Freehills. The ‘Connect’ clinics pair a lawyer from Goldman Sachs with one from HSF to deliver legal advice on a variety of issues that homeless young people often face. This typically involves an initial Zoom meeting with a Centrepoint user, followed by a one-off note of advice. The project’s real-world impact is profound. It provides the Centrepoint users with not just legal advice, but with empowerment—helping them break the cycle of homelessness and move forward in life with confidence. Volunteer lawyers also experience the transformative power of their work, with many expressing a deep sense of fulfilment from knowing their legal expertise has made a difference in someone’s life.