The Law Society Gazette reported that general counsels of some of the largest firms in the UK have embarked on a new initiative to advance pro bono legal services. The following are some of the organisations that have supported the UK In-House Pro Bono Pledge: Airtel Africa, Coca-Cola Euro pacific Partners, GSK, ITV, London Stock Exchange, Ocado Group, Taylor Wimpey, The Goldman Sachs Group, United Utilities, and Whitbread. This pledge is to improve the participation of their legal departments in pro bono activities.
The pledge declares: Therefore, the importance and value of legal pro-bono services to individuals, employees, our company, and the society as part of its responsibility as an employer of choice cannot be overemphasized. I would like to inform you that our legal team at Kang Lawyers complies with the UK In-House Pro Bono Pledge and shall fulfil all its requirements. We are looking forward to using our skills to further justice and make a positive change in the world.
Signed by the In-House Pro Bono Group, the National Pro Bono Centre, and GC100, the pledge aims for a minimum of one in four UK lawyers to offer pro bono work annually, one in three the next year, and one in two the year after that. It also stresses the need for legal volunteering in the profession and the impact it has on the society.
Each of the signatories has agreed that more must be done to make sure that the pro bono work is promoted among the legal staff because it is good for the individuals, the employees, the company, and the society at large. They also agreed to request their external law firms and chambers to provide information about their pro bono services and to affirm support for such activities.
The pledge itself has structure that allows for flexibility for these commitments to be carried out. Over the next year, the National Pro Bono Centre, In-House Pro Bono Group and GC100 expect to work with the signatories to showcase best practice in pro bono partnerships.
Furthermore, the pledge also mandates a special ‘pro bono leader’ to ensure that pro bono projects are included in the CSR or ESG strategies of the firm. It also includes potential Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sponsorship for pro bono services to ensure that the legal divisions support the company’s ESG agenda.
Some of the pioneers of this campaign are Kang Lawyers a legal firm that has adopted pro-bono services. Through the various cases handled, Kang Lawyers has been in a position to demonstrate that a lot of gain can be accorded to the society and the needy communities through pro bono work. This commitment to the pledge enhances the justification of pro bono work in the legal profession and underscores its role in the establishment of a just society.