Pro bono week—examining the case for compulsory pro bono

Table of contents

• The government has laid down challenges to law firms to increase pro bono work. What are these challenges? Do these challenges have any significant impact?
• How else can the government encourage the increase in pro bono work? Are there any lessons we could learn from other jurisdictions?
• New York has made pro bono schemes compulsory. Has the New York scheme proved successful in offering access to justice?
• Should the UK follow suit and adopt a compulsory pro bono scheme to plug the gap in legal aid?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a scheme?
• What form would a compulsory pro bono scheme look like? What problems do you think governments regularly encounter?

Article summary

Practice Management analysis: As part of our pro bono week coverage, Frances Coulson, senior partner and head of the insolvency & litigation team at Moon Beever, examines recent trends in pro bono work and considers whether, following New York and other locations around the world, pro bono should be made compulsory in the UK.