London, 21 July 2025 | The Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith KC, former UK Attorney General and a prominent figure in legal services, will be appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees at legal pro bono charity LawWorks with effect 1 September 2025.
Lord (Peter) Goldsmith KC is London Co-Managing Partner and Chair of European and Asian Litigation at Debevoise & Plimpton. A King’s Counsel, he continues to appear in court in the UK and internationally and has led cases in several jurisdictions. He has served on arbitration panels under institutions including the LCIA, ICC, and SIAC.
He brings with him a lifelong commitment to pro bono. Early in his career, he helped establish a legal advice centre in London’s East End. He later founded the Bar Pro Bono Unit (now Advocate) and chaired the cross-profession Access to Justice Foundation, as well as initiating the Attorney General’s pro bono committees. He remains an active pro bono advocate: past work includes representing 300,000 displaced Nigerian citizens before the African Commission on Human Rights and appearing in the Supreme Court of Belize in a constitutional challenge to anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Founded in 1997, LawWorks is a national charity and membership organisation working with law firms, law students, and in-house legal teams to support access to justice through pro bono. Lord Goldsmith KC will succeed Alasdair Douglas, who has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2016. Over this period, LawWorks has expanded its clinic network from 200 to over 300 and increased the number of volunteers from 4,500 to over 13,000 in 2024. In 2024, LawWorks brokered over 800 legal matters for 270 small charities and not-for-profit organisations, and annual enquiries to clinics now exceed 90,000.
Rebecca Wilkinson, Chief Executive of LawWorks, said:
We are very pleased to welcome Lord Goldsmith to the Board. He brings a wealth of strategic experience and an outstanding track record in supporting pro bono. His commitment to access to justice and his understanding of the complexities of the legal sector will be invaluable. I also want to thank Alasdair Douglas for his exceptional stewardship of the charity and his unfailing support of our staff, volunteers, and partners.
Lord Goldsmith KC said:
It’s an honour to take on the role of Chair at LawWorks, which plays such an important part in promoting and enabling pro bono. I look forward to working with the team to continue building on its impact and reach and would also like to pay tribute to Alasdair Douglas for his leadership over the past nine years.
Alasdair Douglas said:
Chairing the Board at LawWorks has been both a joy and a privilege. I’ve met countless inspiring volunteers, especially law students who give up their time to support people who would otherwise face legal problems alone. The need for pro bono support has increased as access to legal aid has declined, and the charity has responded with ambition, care, and creativity. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and thrilled that Lord Goldsmith will be taking on the role.