Throughout 2022, global crises including the acceleration of climate change, the suppression of free and fair media, the widening inequality gap and the economic implications of geopolitical tensions caused unprecedented disruption to people, communities and businesses. Despite this, law firms’ commitment to the practice of legal pro bono has remained strong, assisting charities, non-profits, social enterprises and individuals in need.
The 2022 TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono is the fifth edition of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s survey mapping the global scale and trends of the pro bono legal sector, and the most comprehensive to date. The Index highlights successful pro bono programmes and provides benchmarks on pro bono participation, offering law firms a unique resource to build and improve their pro bono practices.
The 2022 Index found that 3.5 million hours of pro bono were completed globally by more than 100,000 lawyers across 124 countries. This work took place across a range of issues such as access to justice, sustainability and climate action to human rights, women and LGBT+ rights, and freedom of speech.
An incredible 96 per cent of firms reported that their motivation for doing pro bono was to support their local communities, while over a quarter reported an increase in pro bono activity as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This demonstrates the resilience of pro bono in the midst of global crises and shows that legal professionals are stepping up to provide life-changing support to the people and organisations most impacted.
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