Pro bono opportunities

LawWorks develops and supports the delivery of a number of pro bono programmes and initiatives. There are many other pro bono opportunities across England and Wales.

Programmes

Depending on your particular interest and capacity, there are a range of programmes we support which solicitors from member firms can get involved with: 

The Not-for-Profits Programme connects small not-for-profit organisations in need of legal support with the skills and expertise of lawyers, to support the continuation and expansion of their services to people in need. 

Secondary specialisation is a programme to support lawyers in firms and in-house teams to develop expertise in areas of social welfare law and employment where need is significant and supply increasingly limited. 

You can support this work by becoming a member.

Clinics Network

LawWorks runs a Clinic Network, which supports and develops independent pro bono clinics across England and Wales. 

Clinics on the LawWorks Clinic Network are independent, locally run and provide free initial advice to individuals, predominantly in the area of social welfare law on either a drop-in or appointment basis. Advice is delivered face-to-face, over the telephone and in some circumstances via Skype. Solicitors can volunteer at clinics as individuals or as part of a firm/in-house team initiative depending on the clinic and its needs. 

Legal and skills training is offered to clinics on the Clinics Network to give volunteer solicitors the confidence to provide advice at clinics.

Pro Bono Opportunities

Our listings of pro bono opportunities give an overview of current volunteering opportunities across the country. Please see below.

If you would like to learn about other ways to volunteer, please visit the Get involved section of the website or visit the National Pro Bono Centre website at: https://www.nationalprobonocentre.org.uk/volunteer/volunteering-opportunities/.  

Our team of qualified solicitors advise clients about family law problems involving children, assisted by trained and supervised law students. The service is offered for free to those who cannot afford to pay a solicitor privately elsewhere. We are part of the University of Liverpool and our law students are able to sit in on client appointments and gain valuable legal experience that helps them to gain employability skills and an insight into legal practice work on family cases.

United Legal Access is a virtual legal advice clinic providing online initial legal advice.

ELIPS provides much needed pro bono assistance to unrepresented litigants. It currently covers London Central, Cardiff, Bristol, Midlands (West), Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester Employment Tribunals.

The Legal Advice Clinic offers free legal advice to the general public. We welcome people from all backgrounds.

Birmingham City University Law Clinic provides one off advice from family law practitioners to clients unable to instruct their own representative.

ULLAC offers free initial legal advice on certain areas of law to people in need of legal advice, who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay. ULLAC's service is delivered remotely using Zoom or telephone. Volunteer lawyers can work from their offices and daytime or evening appointments are available.

Work Rights Centre are a charity dedicated to ending precarious work. Established in 2016 by migrants and for migrants, they work to help vulnerable workers understand and access their employment rights, and secure their social mobility with employability and digital literacy advice.

Staffed by students, and supervised by experienced clinic staff and volunteer solicitors from leading Liverpool law firms, the Centre advises on a wide range of legal issues.

Here for Good is a charity dedicated to supporting EU, EEA and Swiss citizens - and their families - living in the UK through the provision of free, high quality immigration services.

Norfolk Community Law Service (NCLS) is a charity offering a range of civil social welfare advice from welfare benefits debt, immigration, family, migrant workers advice and domestic abuse. Their flagship service is the Free Legal Advice service where, thanks to the support of Norfolk solicitors they offer 15 minutes initial advice on family, employment and general matters. The service helps around 3,000 clients each year.