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

The LawWorks Clinics Team are currently working with Citizens Advice Rotherham & District to support them in setting up a pro bono legal advice clinic to better support their service users access free housing, family and immigration & asylum law legal advice. Although Citizens Advice Rotherham & District can provide general advice, a pro bono clinic is essential in ensuring that their service users can access timely, free housing, family and immigration law advice when required.

ARU London has recently launched a law clinic offering free legal advice to members of the public in Tower Hamlets who cannot otherwise afford to access legal advice. The clinic covers family, housing and employment law.

At SILKS - University of Salford Law Clinic, students, staff and external solicitor volunteers provide free legal advice and assistance to individuals who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay for legal advice. The clinic covers family, housing & employment.

One of the services that Citizens Advice Braintree and South Essex provides to local residents is one-off, initial legal advice through their pro bono legal advice clinic. The clinic take place remotely via telephone and currently covers family, housing and contested wills, trusts and estates. Clients must live or work within the council areas of: Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Rochford, Thurrock, Braintree.

One of the services that Suffolk Law Centre provides to residents of Suffolk is one-off, initial legal advice through their pro bono legal advice clinics. The clinics take place remotely, usually via telephone, on a Wednesday and Thursday afternoon / evening and cover employment, family, housing, immigration, personal Injury and wills & probate.

At University of Brighton Legal Clinic, students, staff and external solicitor volunteers provide free legal advice and assistance to individuals who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay for legal advice. The clinic covers family, housing, employment & business/contract law.

Dads House Legal Advice Clinic provides free family law advice to people who have no or very little means. The clinic is based in Fulham and runs an in-person service every Wednesday and Friday afternoon.

At Royal Holloway University Legal Advice Centre, students, staff and external solicitor volunteers provide free legal advice and assistance to individuals who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay for legal advice. The clinic covers a wide variety of areas of law including contract, consumer, general civil litigation, housing, personal injury and wills & probate.

At Liverpool John Moores University Legal Advice Centre, students, staff and external solicitor volunteers provide free legal advice and assistance to individuals who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay for legal advice. The clinic overs a wide variety of areas of law including charity law, intellectual property, commercial, civil disputes, wills & contentious wills, family and housing.

At Bath Law Clinic, based at University of Bath, students, staff and external solicitor volunteers provide free legal advice and assistance to individuals who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay for legal advice. Bath Law Clinic covers a wide variety of areas of law including family, employment, immigration, wills and trusts, housing, neighbour disputes, small claims, forming/structuring a charity of social enterprise.