PILA’s updated Progress Report was recently launched at FLAC’s 2013 Dave Ellis Lecture on 5 December, as part of the United Nations’ Human Rights Week. This Report builds on the 2012 edition and highlights the project’s key achievements, as well as the spirit of public interest law and passion for pro bono that led to PILA’s establishment.
Here are some key facts and figures from the Report about the work of PILA and its stakeholders since 2009:
The Report also features a number of case studies of referrals, working groups and legal education sessions that PILA has facilitated through the Pro Bono Referral Scheme. One of these is a legal advice referral that PILA facilitated for TENI and FLAC, which draws in FLAC’s ongoing work on behalf of Dr Lydia Foy.
Another case study detailed in the Report, the ongoing collaboration between A&L Goodbody and the Irish Refugee Council Law Centre, was recently featured in the Irish Times.
Rachel Power, PILA Coordinator says, “This Progress Report showcases the work that our stakeholders have undertaken through our Pro Bono Referral Scheme, and it illustrates the impact of our public interest law events, research and information services. PILA exists because it is needed, and we hope this Report will explain clearly to our stakeholders and other interested people that the project’s ongoing presence is essential for the development of public interest law and structured pro bono in this jurisdiction.”
Speaking at the Dave Ellis Lecture, Atlantic Philanthropies’ Martin O’Brien said he was encouraged by the number of law firms and individual practitioners “doing their bit” through PILA, and congratulated them for their farsightedness in doing so. Aside from being the right thing to do, O’Brien sees the work that PILA is doing as a rewarding and valuable experience for all involved, and also helps to rehabilitate the image of the lawyer in modern Ireland.
Click here to download a copy of the Progress Report.