November is a key month of the year in the pro bono world, with the 22nd annual UK Pro Bono Week taking place from 6 – 10 November 2023 and the 5th annual European Pro Bono Week taking place from 20 – 24 November. This year also sees the inaugural Hong Kong Pro Bono Week, which will take place from 20 - 26 November. 

These weeks are an important moment in time to recognise the voluntary contribution made by the legal profession in support of access to justice for those in need. We are proud to be a signatory to the Law Society’s Pro Bono Charter and members of the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono.

At Norton Rose Fulbright, we are celebrating pro bono week and highlighting some key initiatives we are working on with our pro bono partners. These include:

• Kids in Need of Defence (KIND), who provide free legal advice and representation to undocumented children, young people and families in the UK 
• Safe Passage International (SPI) and European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL) who are jointly providing urgently needed legal assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw
• Coram Children’s Legal Centre and Refugee Legal Support, whose work to help reunite family members across continental Europe, including unaccompanied minors, we support through the Family Reunion From Europe (FRFE) initiative.

As part of our strategic partnership with Save the Children, we also continue to provide a range of pro bono legal services.

We are pleased to be able to support a growing range of pro bono partners across our firm and conscious of our responsibility to ensure that we do all we can to address unmet legal needs. However, we recognise that pro bono is only an adjunct to, and not a substitute for, a proper system of publicly funded legal services.

UK Pro Bono Week 2023

Events in the legal sector to mark the week are this year focused around these core areas:

• Changing lives through pro bono
• Maximising the impact of pro bono
• Pro bono within ESG: From climate to sustainable development

A firm like ours is in many ways privileged. We also have a diverse and talented workforce. It is only right that we try to assist others- whether individuals or organisations- who need access to legal advice and support. We are delighted to try to help and make a difference. Patrick Farrell, Partner, London

European Pro Bono Week

Co-organised by the European Pro Bono Initiative, and pro bono clearinghouses and organizations, the various events hosted focus on the delivery of pro bono to civil society organizations, discussion panels on pro bono opportunities and challenges, and celebrations of pro bono development locally.

How law firms are contributing to the fight to end statelessness in Europe

Find out more about the European Network on Statelessness, and how the impactful contributions of their pro bono partners in the fight against statelessness in Europe.