Register for the Panel

Legal Pro Bono Panel: Terms of participation

Background

The Legal Pro Bono Panel aims, in a coordinated way, to help members of the public access emergency pro bono legal advice in the event of major incidents including terrorist attacks and civic disasters such as the Grenfell Tower fire.

Our hope is that the platform will never be needed, but solicitors are invited to apply to join a panel in readiness should a need arise. Panel members will be able to access and review requests via the online platform for pro bono legal advice and there will be no obligation to take on a request.

Requirements and expectations of panel members

Before applying to join the panel we ask that you first carefully consider all the following requirements and expectations and agree that these will be met (by you and any colleagues also participating). It will be possible to opt-out of the panel at any time should your professional circumstances change.

All panel members and participants providing pro bono legal advice must:

• Be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and able to professionally deliver legal services to the public, including having a current practising certificate (unless exempt as in the case of solicitors employed by the Government Legal Service).
• Have in place or are covered by appropriate professional indemnity insurance.  
• Apply the Joint Pro Bono Protocol for Legal Work – this is designed to be clear about what pro bono is and the standard to which it should be done. In particular, the Protocol requires:

1. that pro bono legal work is always free to the client, without payment to the lawyers or their organisation;
2. that the legal work is always done to a high standard, including only undertaken by a lawyer who has appropriate knowledge, skills and experience and, where necessary, is adequately supervised for the work in question;
3. the lawyer undertaking the pro bono legal work has no less than the minimum level of legal expertise and experience as would be required if the particular work was paid work;
4. once taking on the pro bono work it must be given the same priority, attention and care as would apply to paid work.

View the complete Pro Bono Protocol

Welfare and wellbeing

In the event that is the Legal Pro Bono Platform is initiated, please be aware and ready for the likelihood that individuals seeking legal advice (or their friends, families or members of a community) may be traumatised and extremely vulnerable as a result of witnessing distressing scenes and/or suffering injury and/or or bereavement.

Those providing advice and other means of support may themselves be at risk of vicarious trauma and may potentially need emotional and other support.

Please only register for the panel if you are confident that you, or colleagues also participating, will have in place, or will have access to, appropriate support to protect your own welfare and wellbeing.

By applying to join the panel you agree to the above requirements and expectations.

If you have any questions or queries about the Legal Pro Bono Platform please do get in touch by contacting DigitalServices@lawworks.org.uk.