PILA’s Pro Bono Referral Scheme matches the legal needs of NGOs, law centres and community organisations with barristers, solicitors and law firms who have signed up to PILA’s Pro Bono Register. Lawyers give their legal expertise in a number of ways:
· By providing legal advice in conjunction with an organisation’s policy and campaign work, or an organisational issues e.g. advice on a bill going through the Oireachtas, legal clarification for a national campaign, a governance ‘health-check’, or advice.
· By participating in law reform working groups. A law reform working group is where lawyers on our pro-bono register undertake research that will help organisations to effect systematic change.
· By delivering a legal education session. In 2012 and 2013, legal education sessions were held on topics as diverse as landlord & tenant, the habitual residence condition, health & safety, data protection& freedom of information, domestic violence and employment law.
· By providing litigation support. This includes pre-litigation opinions and case work.
Crosscare a longstanding partner NGO with PILA recently sought a legal opinion on the position of their client; a non-EU citizen who had been approved for Irish citizenship but due to an inability to meet legal requirements had not been officially granted citizenship. He did not have a valid passport and attempts to apply for one had failed. Due to these difficulties the client had found himself in a situation where he had become undocumented. Richard King of Crosscare approached PILA’s Legal Officer to source an expert. The case was not unusual for Crosscare and many of their clients had found themselves in similar situations. Claire McCarthy agreed to take on the matter on a pro bono basis. From start to finish the process took approximately three weeks.
In talking about the referral process Richard King commented:”The answer was extremely quick and very comprehensive. I found it approached the issue from a very different perspective and has given me a new approach which I am in the process of trying.”
The wide ranging impact of pro-bono work was highlighted by Richard King and he stated that he “intend(ed) to use the advice and actions arising as part of our casework meetings/training to help raise advocacy standards and knowledge internally”.
In discussing the referral process Claire McCarthy, Solicitor recognised the great impact that pro bono work which is done in a structured manner can have. Claire McCarthy shared “I am glad that I was able to respond to Crosscare. I would not have come across the query through informal channels and I hope that I was able to be of some assistance to them so that is quite a satisfying result”.
If you would like more information about becoming involved with PILA’s Pro Bono Referral Scheme, please contact Legal Officer Eithne Lynch on 01 8873630 or eithne.lynch@flac.ie.